CONQUEST 

OF  THE 

SAVAGES 


ROGER  T.  FINLAY 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

DAVIS 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  THE  SAVAGES 


THE 

CONQUEST  OF 
THE  SAVAGES 


BY 
ROGER  T.  FINLAY 


ILLUSTRATED 


M.    A.    DONOHUE    &    COMPANY 

CHICAGO  NEW 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  op  CALIFORNIA 


JCANTJFACTUBED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  07   AMERICA 


CONTENTS 


L    THE  COMPACT  BETWEEN  THE  FOUR  ALLIED  TBIBES, 

Page  11 

The  camp  startled  by  Sutoto.  Confederation  of  the 
Tuolos,  Kurabus  and  Illyas.  A  council  of  all  the 
chiefs.  The  Professor's  address.  Advising  unity  of  all 
the  tribes  against  the  hostiles.  The  assent  of  the 
chiefs.  The  views  of  Oma,  Uraso  and  Muro.  How 
the  allied  tribes  met.  Review  of  the  work  of  the  Pro 
fessor  and  the  boys.  Determine  to  send  a  force  to 
the  Cataract.  Conclude  to  remove  all  tools  to  the 
southwest.  The  warriors  selected.  Adopting  a  settled 
plan.  Mustering  the  warriors.  Sending  for  Chief  Su- 
ros  of  the  Berees.  The  muster  roll.  John  in  command 
of  the  forces  to  the  Cataract.  Blakely  in  command 
of  the  home  forces.  The  march  to  protect  the  Brabos. 
A  compact  between  the  allied  tribes.  John  and  his 
party  on  the  march.  Sadness  at  giving  up  Cataruct. 
At  the  Cataract.  The  flag  as  a  charm.  Uraso's  in 
terpretation  of  the  flag. 

IL    BUST  TIMES  AT  THE  CATARACT.   THE  ALARMING  NEWS, 

Page  24 

The  tribute  to  the  flag.  A  national  talisman.  Enter 
taining  the  warriors.  Starting  the  water  wheel  in 
motion.  The  sawmill  at  work.  Making  spears.  Gath 
ering  and  threshing  barley.  The  roast  ox  and  the  feast. 
Making  bread.  The  surprising  novelties  for  the  war 
riors.  Determining  to  make  guns  before  dismantling. 
Building  a  new  wagon.  Uraso  directing  the  work  of 
the  men.  The  universal  tattoo.  Its  significance.  Desig 
nating  name  and  rank.  Clothing.  Blakely  drilling 
the  army  at  the  Brabo  village.  News  of  the  approach 
of  the  old  chief  Suros.  The  Professor  and  party  re 
ceiving  him  with  honor.  The  conversation  with  Suros. 
His  hearty  accord.  Jim  and  Will.  Their  observations. 
The  value  of  unity.  Sutoto's  report  about  the  confed 
erated  tribes.  Information  of  tncir  movement  toward 
Cataract.  John's  scouts  at  the  Cataract  capture  two 
Kurabus.  Startling  intelligence.  Interviewing  the 
captives.  Completing  the  new  wagon.  Sending  out 
scouts  toward  the  Kurabus. 


2  CONTENTS 

Id,    IKTERCEPTIWO  THE  MARCH  OF  THB  CONFEDERATES.    TITB 

TREASURE Page  37 

Blakely  with  a  force  to  intercept  the  confederates. 
Sutoto  delegated  to  inform  John.  Reaching  the  Cata 
ract.  Interesting  scenes  at  the  Cataract  for  Sutoto. 
The  scouts  report  the  tribes  to  the  west.  Blakely'a 
force  near  the  confederates.  Watching  their  move 
ments.  John's  messenger  to  Blakely.  Advice  that  the 
tribes  are  waiting  for  reinforcements.  The  tribes  on 
the  march  east.  Blakely's  message  to  John.  Blakely 
intercepting  the  tribes.  His  message  to  the  enemy. 
Their  surprise.  To  give  their  answer  in  two  suns. 
The  message  to  the  Professor.  The  Professor  decides 
to  capture  tne  Kurabus'  village.  On  the  march.  Cap 
turing  the  Kurabus'  reinforcements.  The  villages  in 
his  possession.  The  Professor's  message  to  John  and 
Blakely.  A  message  from  Blakely.  Hurrying  the  work 
at  Cataract.  Making  guns  and  spears.  Taro.  The 
treasure  in  the  cave.  Decide  to  take  it  to  their  new 
home.  Loading  up  the  wagons.  Transferring  the  hoard 
in  the  caves.  A  messenger  informing  John  of  the  bat 
tle.  Instructs  Muro  to  go  to  aid  of  Blakely. 

IV.    THE  SURRENDER  OP  THE  KURABUS Page  50 

The  load  of  treasure.  A  doleful  sound.  The  "cry  of 
the  lost  soul."  Activity  at  Cataract.  Bringing  in  the 
flag.  The  trip  to  Observation  Hill.  The  warriors 
participate.  George  and  Harry  lower  the  flag.  An 
impressive  scene.  The  last  sad  night  at  the  Cataract. 
A  runner  from  John  to  the  Professor.  The  confed 
erates  within  eight  miles  of  Cataract.  A  movement  to 
capture  them.  Messenger  from  the  Kurabus'  village 
arrives  too  soon.  The  flight  of  the  confederated  tribes. 
The  Kurabus  determine  to  defend  their  village.  John 
orders  a  forced  march  to  assist  the  Professor.  The 
messenger  from  Muro  advises  the  Professor.  He  learns 
of  the  approach  of  the  Professor.  The  arrival  of  John. 
The  confederates  at  the  Kurabus'  village.  Surprise 
of  the  latter  at  the  leniency  of  the  Professor.  Ad 
vancing  on  ohe  Kurabus'  village.  A  messenger  from 
the  Kurabus.  Agree  to  surrender.  The  flight  of  the 
Tuolos  and  Illyas.  The  Kurabus  join  the  allies.  Sub 
mission.  Tastoa's  message  to  the  other  tribes. 

•V,    THE  NEW  TOWN  SITE.    THE  WATER  WHEEL  AND  SAW 
MILL  Page  62 

Return  to  the  Brabo  village.  The  train  from  Cataract 
in  sight.  The  triumphal  entrance  into  the  village. 


CONTENTS  3 

The  festivities.  Safety  of  the  Brabos  assured.  The 
Professor  tells  the  chiefs  his  object  in  forming  the 
alliance.  Suggests  the  building  of  a  new  town.  To 
belong  to  all  the  tribes.  To  take  all  the  chiefs  to  the 
new  town.  The  boys  want  their  herd  of  yaks.  Sutoto 
and  party  go  for  them.  Blakely's  fighting  force.  The 
Banyan  tree.  Its  peculiar  growth.  Sap  in  trees. 
Capillary  attraction.  Hunting  a  town  site.  Uraso 
selects  a  place.  A  water-fall.  An  ideal  spot.  Re 
ported  arrival  of  the  herd.  Fencing  off  a  fieid.  How 
the  fence  was  built.  The  warriors  at  work.  Building 
a  new  water  wheel.  Erecting  a  sawmill.  The  war 
riors  at  work  bringing  in  logs.  The  sawmill  at  work. 

VL    BUILDING  UP  THE  NEW  TOWN Page  74 

Disquieting  rumors  of  the  confederates.  Shop  and 
laboratory  put  up.  A  safe  place  for  the  treasure. 
Making  looms.  Searching  for  minerals.  Putting 
up  a  furnace  and  smelter.  Making  molds  for 
copper  coins.  The  mint.  Teaching  the  people  how 
to  use  money.  First  lessons  in  industry.  The 
measure  of  value.  Coins  of  no  value.  Paying 
wages.  Inculcating  the  ideas  of  pay  for  labor.  Teach 
ing  natives  the  principles  of  purchase  and  said.  Mak 
ing  bargains.  Begin  the  erection  of  buildings.  The 
Tuolos  and  Illyas  still  bitter.  Evidences  of  hostilities. 
Decide  to  conquer  the  Tuolos.  John  at  the  head  of 
an  expedition.  The  natives  encouraged  to  bring  in 
all  kinds  of  vegetables.  Chica.  Burning  oil.  Why 
different  plants  grow  differently  on  the  same  soiL 
Ralph  and  Tom  accompany  John  on  the  expedition. 
Going  to  visit  the  tribe  which  captured  them. 

VII.    THE  EXPEDITION  AGAJNST  THE  TUOLOS Page  86 

Crossing  the  West  River.  Approaching  the  Tuolos  vil 
lage  from  the  south.  The  advance  scouts.  First  signs 
of  the  Tuolos.  The  feasting  at  the  village.  Ralph  and 
Tom  wander  from  the  camp.  They  discover  a  cave. 
Striking  a  match.  The  weird  interior.  Leave  the  cave 
to  notify  John.  Return  to  the  cave.  A  hurried  ex 
ploration.  The  home  of  the  Medicine  men.  Their  ab 
sence  at  the  village.  Meeting  the  Medicine  men  at 
the  entrance.  Effecting  a  capture.  The  Krishnos.  A 
curious  cross  found  by  John  in  the  cave.  Its  history. 
The  uproar  in  the  village.  John  confronting  the 
Medicine  men.  They  tell  him  the  Great  Spirit  will 
destroy  him.  John  strikes  a  light  on  the  cross  with 
matches.  The  Medicine  men  in  terror.  Orders  one 


I  CONTENTS 

of  them  to  go  to  the  village  and  tell  the  Chief  to  sur 
render.  Surrounding  the  village.  Muro  captures  a 
rival  act  of  Medicine  men.  Another  cave.  Questioning 
the  newly-arrived  captives.  They  are  defiant. 

YUL    THE  SUBMISSION  OF  THE  TUOLOS Page  100 

Threatening  the  Medicine  men.  Beating  them  for  lying. 
Morning.  Dissensions  in  the  village.  Learn  they  ara 
surrounded.  The  Chief  comes  forward.  Meeting  John 
and  Muro.  John's  plain  talk  to  the  Chief.  Demands 
his  immediate  surrender.  The  Chief  stunned.  Says  ha 
will  go  and  tell  his  people.  The  Chief  returns.  Sur 
renders.  The  warriors  march  into  the  village.  Lib 
erating  the  captured  Brabos.  Ralph  and  Tom  visit 
the  large  hut  where  they  were  confined.  Blakely 
showing  the  Chief  the  maneuvers  of  the  warriors. 
The  Chief  proposes  to  torture  the  Medicine  men.  John 
interferes.  Asks  that  they  be  turned  over  to  him. 
The  Professor  and  the  colony.  The  insulting  message 
from  the  Illyas.  The  messenger  to  John.  Building 
chairs  and  tables.  Two-  and  three-room  cottages. 
Stimulating  individual  efforts.  The  first  thief  and 
the  treatment.  John  and  party  visit  the  cave  east  of 
the  village. 

IX    PLANS  FOB  THE  BENEFIT  OF  THE  NATIVES Page  111 

Entering  the  cave.  What  they  found.  The  treasure 
as  John  had  described  it.  Removing  it  to  the  wagon. 
The  Chief,  the  Krishnos  and  a  number  of  the  war 
riors  taken  to  the  new  town.  Approaching  home.  The 
Chief  Marmo.  Meets  the  Professor.  The  welcoming 
functions.  Interest  in  the  works.  Watching  the  loom. 
Trying  to  teach  him  new  ideas.  A  lesson  in  justice. 
Told  the  difference  between  right  and  wrong.  Blakely 
the  man  of  business.  The  island  as  a  source  of  wealth. 
Blakely  determines  to  stay  on  the  island.  Agree  to 
build  a  large  vessel.  Projecting  a  trip  home.  Agri 
cultural  pursuits.  The  states.  How  lands  were  to 
be  disposed  of.  Value  of  land.  Proposing  an  ex 
pedition  to  the  Illyas.  Marmo  sends  a  message  to  the 
Illyas.  Making  new  guns  for  the  expedition. 

X.    THE  PECULIAB  SAVAGE  BELIEFS  AND  CUSTOMS.  .Page  124 

The  Krishnos.  Chief  Marmo  learning.  The  Tuolo 
workman  asks  permission  to  bring  his  family  to  the 
new  town.  The  boys  find  a  name  for  the  town.  Unity. 


CONTENTS  5 

The  Hindoo  christening.  The  expedition  against  the 
Illyas.  Three  hundred  warriors.  Reflections  of  the 
boys.  Six  tribes.  Heading  for  the  Saboro  village, 
Muro  happy.  A  day  and  night  of  feasting.  Muro'e 
family.  The  pocket  mirrors.  Lolo.  An  artisan. 
Events  at  Unity.  Two  deaths.  The  peculiar  rites. 
The  Spirits  in  the  air.  Rewards.  Savage  beliefs.  The 
honored  dead.  Lessons  from  the  Great  Spirit. 


XL    EXPEDITION  TO  SUBDUE  THE  ILLYAS Page  137 

The  warriors'  families.  The  plaintain  leaf.  The  native 
loom.  Weaving.  Primitive  goods.  A  store  set  up. 
Kitchen  utensils.  Bringing  in  ore  and  supplies.  Sani 
tary  arrangements.  Home  comforts.  Native  combs. 
Fish  fins.  An  immense  turtle.  Tortoise  shells.  John 
and  the  war  party.  Illyas  reported  in  front.  Char 
acter  of  country.  Savage  beliefs.  The  moon  in  their 
worship.  Distance  to  the  Illyas  village.  In  sight 
of  the  first  Illyas.  Borderlines.  Double  line  of  guards, 
Illyas  surprised.  Capturing  an  Illyas  warrior.  Send 
ing  him  back  with  a  peace  message.  A  strong  posi 
tion.  The  history  of  the  illyaa.  Differences  in  the 
color  of  the  various  tribes. 


XIL    THE  PERILOUS  TRIP  OF  THE  WAGON Page  149 

At  Unity.  Suros  and  Oma  announce  they  will  noi  re 
turn  to  their  tribes.  The  return  of  the  Tuolo  war 
rior  and  family.  A  cottage  for  him.  Famished.  How 
the  Professor  explained  his  act  of  humanity  to  Chief 
Marmo.  The  principles  of  justice.  Marmo  accom 
panies  the  Professor  through  the  town.  An  object  les 
son.  Ralph  and  Jim  in  charge  of  the  factory.  Sending 
out  hunters  to  gather  in  yaks.  Laying  out  fields. 
"Wonderful  vegetation.  John  and  the  Illyas.  Flanking 
movement  around  the  Illyas.  The  charge.  The  Illyaa 
in  confusion.  Their  retreat.  The  forest  a  barrier. 
Sighting  the  main  village.  Astonishment  at  its  char 
acter.  An  elevated  plateau.  A  town  by  design.  Pe 
culiarly  formed  hills  or  mounds.  Fortified.  The  mys 
tery.  Sending  the  wagons  to  the  south.  Avoiding 
the  forest.  No  word  from  the  team.  The  teams  reach 
the  river.  Intercepted.  Illyas  in  front.  Blocked  by 
precipitous  banks.  Forming  camp.  Sending  mes 
sengers  to  John.  Muro  gets  the  message.  Hastens  to 
relieve  the  force  with  the  wagon.  The  savage  attack. 
A  volley  behind  the  Illyas. 


6  CONTENTS 

XIIL    THE    REMARKABLE    DISCOVERY    AT    BLAKELY'S    Mouit- 
TAIN  HOME Page  163 

At  Unity.  The  weekly  outing.  The  great  forest  to  the 
west.  The  trip  of  the  whites  to  Blakely's  forest  home. 
Driftwood.  Centrifugal  and  centripetal  motion.  The 
forest  animals.  Orang-outan.  The  monkeys.  Reach 
ing  the  hill.  The  scaling  vine.  Reaching  the  recessed 
rocks.  The  two  skeletons  in  the  rocks.  A  gun  and 
trinkets.  A  sextant.  A  letter.  No  identity.  The 
message.  Effort  to  decipher  it.  A  mound  for  the 
bones.  Forwarding  copy  of  message  to  John.  John's 
examination  of  the  Illyas'  village.  The  remarkable 
character  of  the  buildings.  Muro  returns  with  the 
wagons.  The  Tuolos  as  fighters.  Two  captured.  Try 
ing  to  open  communications.  Returns  of  the  mes 
sengers.  Defiance.  Permitting  the  messenger  to  return. 


XIV.    THE  SURPRISE  AND  CAPTURE  OF  THE  ILLYAS'  STRONG 
HOLD  Page  175 

Astonishment  of  the  Illyas'  messenger.  The  character 
of  the  eastern  side  of  the  town.  A  movement  in  the 
night.  Surround  ing  the  town.  Muro  and  Uraso  as  war 
riors.  The  architecture  of  the  buildings.  Not  built 
by  the  natives.  Different  kinds  of  architecture.  Their 
distinction.  Disposing  the  |prces.  The  signal  for  at 
tack.  John  and  his  party  rush  the  breastworks.  Enter 
the  town.  The  surprise  and  confusion  of  the  Illyas. 
Harry  observes  the  Illyas'  chief  and  attendants.  Sur 
rounds  and  capture  them.  Muro  makes  a  charge. 
The  chief  signals  surrender.  Uraso  surrounds  the 
Illyas.  Marched  to  the  great  square.  The  conference 
between  John  and  the  chief.  The  Doric  building.  The 
Illyas'  chief.  His  imperious  air.  Dignity  of  Uraso  and 
Muro. 


XV.    THE  RESCUE  OP  FIVE  CAPTIVES  Page  187 

The  chiefs  question.  John's  brief  answer.  The  chief 
trying  to  deceive  John.  Questions  the  chief  about  the 
messages.  The  lying  answers.  The  punishment  im 
posed  on  the  warriors.  Orders  the  same  punishment  for 
the  chief.  Consternation.  Uraso  and  Muro  plead  for 
the  chief.  Whipping  the  most  disgraceful  punishment 
for  a  chief.  Demands  the  white  captives.  Sama  to 
show  the  way  to  their  hiding  place.  The  wagon 
brought  out.  The  boys,  accompanied  by  Lolo,  and  com 
manded  by  Stut.  Reach  the  village.  The  captives'  hut. 


CONTENTS  7 

The  rush  for  the  door.  The  five  captives.  Three  In- 
vestigalor's  boys.  A  pitiable  sight.  Hungry.  Harry'a 
inscription  on  the  litter.  A  Saboro  and  a  white  man. 
Taking  the  Illyas'  warriors  along.  Feeding  the  rescued 
ones. 

XVI.    REMARKABLE  GROWTH  OF  UNITY Page  199 

Awaiting  word  from  John.  Telegraph  line  needed. 
Wireless  telegraphy.  Sound  and  power.  Vibrations. 
A  universal  force.  B  Street  in  Unity.  Visiting  the 
villagers  in  their  homes.  Incentives  to  beautify  their 
houses.  Erecting  larger  dwellings  for  the  chiefs.  The, 
schoolhouse.  A  growing  town.  Marvels  to  the  chiefs. 
The  mysterious  things  the  white  men  do.  The  ther 
mometer.  Teaching  medicine.  Cinchona.  Calisaya. 
Acids.  The  boys  reach  the  Illyas'  village  with  the 
liberated  prisoners.  Making  them  comfortable.  The 
white  man  a  former  companion  of  John.  A  health  re 
sort.  The  Investigator's  lifeboat  No.  3.  Mystery  about 
the  note.  The  commotion  outside.  Capturing  the 
Illyas'  reinforcements  from  the  south.  Provisions. 
Cultivation  of  the  soil.  George  and  Harry  explore  tin 
buildings.  Trying  to  solve  the  puzzle.  Arrangements 
of  the  streets. 

XVII.    THE  MYSTERIOUS  CAVE.    RETURNING  TO  UNITY.. Page  211 

Cornerstones.  The  treasure  chart.  Caves  near  the 
town.  A  guess  at  the  meaning  of  the  buildings.  The 
Medicine  men.  Questioning  the  chief.  He  says  John 
will  be  destroyed  if  he  enters  the  cave.  John's  test 
of  the  truth  of  the  chief's  statement.  The  trip  to  the 
cave.  Proving  that  the  Medicine  men  lied.  The  chief 
enjoys  his  first  ride.  The  cave  entrance.  John  goes  in. 
He  finds  the  Krishnos.  Their  conversation.  John  ap 
pears  before  them.  The  consternation.  Orders  them 
to  leave  the  cave.  Shows  the  chief  that  the  Medicine 
men  have  lied.  Taking  them  to  the  village.  John  and 
the  boys  explore  the  cave  alone.  No  treTsure.  An  im 
mense  deposit  of  copper.  Probable  explanation  of  the 
houses  of  the  town.  An  immense  chamber.  The  start 
for  Unity.  Sighting  the  Saboro  village.  Muro's  family. 
Waiting  to  go  to  Unity.  The  town  out  to  meet  the 
returning  warriors.  Angel  at  the  reception. 

XVIII.    BUILDING  A  SHIP  TO  TAKE  THEM  HOME.    PEACE, 

Page  221 

Oroto  surprised  at  the  appearance  of  Marmo.  Anxious 
to  see  the  great  White  Chief.  The  Professor  welcomes 

JUk 


8  CONTENTS 

the  Illyas'  chief.  His  great  surprise.  Friendship.  Has 
no  further  belief  in  the  wise  mwn.  Life  and  death. 
Why  he  was  brought  to  Unity.  Peace  among  the  tribes. 
Oroto  and  Marmo  confer.  A  jollification  of  the  whites. 
What  had  been  accomplished  in  two  years.  Building 
a  ship  for  home.  Sadness  as  well  as  joy.  The  engi 
neering  force  of  Unity.  How  the  different  tribes  lived 
together.  Rich  soil.  New  houses.  New  people.  A 
printing  press.  A  schoolhous«.  Making  paper.  Many 
Brysteries  unsolved.  One  thing  lacking.  The  flag.  Get 
ting  the  flagpole.  The  ceremony.  Hoisting  OLD 
CJLORY. 


THE  CONQUEST  OP  THE  SAVAGES 


THE  CONQUEST 

CHAPTER   I 

THE    COMPACT    BETWEEN    THE    FOUE    ALLIED    TRIBES 

WHEN  the  morning  sun  was  struggling  to  come 
up  over  the  mountains  in  the  east,  the  whole  camp 
was  startled  hy  Sutoto,  who,  with  a  number  of 
the  Berees  during  the  night,  had  acted  as  a  picket, 
to  observe  the  attitude  of  the  defeated  tribes. 

He  made  his  way  to  the  Professor,  who  had 
taken  his  old  place  in  the  wagon.  "The  Tuolos, 
Kurabus  and  IJlyas  have  all  united  and  are  now 
on  the  big  river." 

"When  did  you  last  see  them!" 

He  held  up  his  fingers  to  indicate  the  time, 
and  the  Professor  called  to  Will :  "Do  you  know 
what  time  he  means?" 

Will  soon  interpreted  the  sign  to  mean  three 
in  the  morning, 

"If  they  have  not  been  separated  it  is  a  sign 
that  they  intend  to  continue  the  fight,"  said  John. 

"I  suggest,"  replied  the  Professor,  "that  we  call 
a  council  of  the  principal  men  in  the  tribes,  and 
let  them  fully  understand  what  our  aim  and  de 
sires  are,  and  thus  unite  the  four  tribes  in  a  bond 
of  unity.  This  is  a  most  opportune  time." 

The  news  of  the  obvious  action  of  the  tribes 
to  the  north  was  soon  learned  by  all,  and  when 

11 


12  THE   CONQUEST 

the  Professor's  view  was  communicated  there  was 
a  universal  assent. 

Within  an  hour  the  chiefs  assembled,  and  the 
Professor  addressed  them  as  follows:  "My 
brothers,  I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  talk  to  you,  and 
Uraso  and  Murp  will  tell  you  what  I  have  to  say. 
The  Great  Spirit  sent  us  here,  and  we  tried  for 
a  long  time  to  tell  you  why  we  came,  but  you  did 
not  understand  it. 

"The  Great  Spirit  is  the  same  to  all  tribes ;  he 
does  not  favor  one  more  than  the  other,  but  some 
times  one  tribe  will  understand  better  than  the 
other  what  he  wants,  and  when  they  do  know 
what  he  says  it  makes  them  stronger  and  better. 

"We  believe  the  Great  Spirit  wants  the  differ 
ent  tribes  to  live  together  in  peace,  and  not  kill 
each  other,  and  for  that  purpose  he  has  given 
each  one  something  to  do.  If  he  does  that  in  a 
right  way  he  not  only  helps  himself,  but  he  helps 
everyone  else. 

"We  want  to  show  you  how  to  do  this,  but  before 
we  can  start  we  must  all  be  like  one  family.  We 
do  not  ask  the  Berees  to  give  up  their  customs 
and  become  Saboros,  nor  do  we  want  the  Brabos 
to  do  as  the  Osagas  do.  We  do  not  care  what 
you  believe  about  this  or  that,  or  how  you  shall 
dress,  or  what  language  you  shall  speak.  The 
only  thing  we  should  be  careful  to  do  alike  is  to 
so  work  that  we  shall  not  injure  each  other. 

"It  will  not  be  hard  to  learn  this,  and  we  will 
all  be  patient,  and  we  ask  you  to  be  patient  with 
us.  We  want  to  show  you  that  the  ground  is 
your  mother,  and  when  you  ask  her  for  fruit  she 


COMPACT   BETWEEN   THE   TRIBES  13 

will  give  you  plenty,  and  yon  can  soon  learn  to 
make  things  which  will  make  your  wives  and  chil 
dren  happy  and  contented. 

"You  will  know  that  anything  you  own  will  be 
yours,  and  none  can  take  it  from  you,  and  if  any 
one  tries  to  take  it,  everyone  will  stand  up  and 
protect  you.  The  tribes  which  are  now  to  the 
north  must  be  made  to  understand  this,  and  we 
must  unite  to  compel  them  to  agree  to  this  man 
ner  of  living. 

"I  know  that  the  tribes  are  powerful  enemies, 
and  can  bring  a  great  many  warriors  to  fight 
against  us,  but  we  do  not  want  to  kill,  nor  do  we 
want  them  to  kill  us.  Your  weapons  are  not  any 
better  than  the  ones  they  have,  and  we  want  to 
make  some  that  will  enable  us  to  overcome  them, 
not  for  the  purpose  of  killing  them,  but  only  to 
protect  ourselves  and  our  homes  and  children. 

"If  that  is  what  you  want  and  you  agree  with 
me  that  it  is  the  right  thing  to  do,  we  will  help 
you.  To  do  that  you  must  not  fight  each  other. 
I  have  heard  that  you  do  not  believe  in  sacrific 
ing  captives,  as  the  Tuolos  and  the  Illyas  and  the 
Kurabus  do,  and  I  am  glad  of  it. 

"I  am  told  that  you  all  know  Suros,  the  great 
father  of  the  Berees,  and  that  he  is  wise.  He 
is  my  friend,  and  he  must  be  present  at  our  coun 
cils,  but  we  cannot  go  to  him  now,  because  we  must 
protect  our  friends,  the  Brabos,  against  the  war 
ring  tribes. 

"But  we  must  also  be  prepared  to  meet  those 
enemies,  and  where  we  live,  we  have  the  work 
shop  by  which  we  can  make  all  the  wonderful  things 


14  THE   CONQUEST 

needed  for  our  protection.  We  must  go  to  the 
Brabos'  village,  to  be  on  guard,  while  others  must 
go  to  our  village  and  bring  back  those  articles, 
and  we  will  make  the  things  at  your  own  homes, 
so  we  can  compel  those  tribes  to  submit." 

These  words  affected  all  the  warriors,  and  they 
gathered  around  the  chiefs  and  expressed  their 
willingness  to  do  all  that  the  Professor  had  sug 
gested. 

One  after  the  other,  the  chiefs  assented,  and 
the  Brabos  were  especially  pleased.  Their  chief, 
Oma,  arose  and  said :  "We  have  been  fighting  our 
friends,  and  not  our  enemies,  but  we  did  not  know 
any  better.  We  thought  everyone  was  an  enemy. 
The  Great  White  Chief  has  told  us  a  new  way 
to  live,  and  we  will  do  whatever  he  says." 

Uraso,  chief  of  the  Osagas,  held  up  his  hand, 
and  turned  to  the  people:  "I  was  wounded  by 
the  White  Chief,  and  he  took  me  to  his  village  and 
treated  me  like  a  friend.  He  cured  me  of  my 
wounds,  and  I  became  his  friend.  I  left  him  and 
tried  to  come  back  and  tell  my  people  what  a 
wonderful  father  he  was,  but  the  Illyas  captured 
me,  and  when  I  escaped,  and  returned,  found  my 
people  had  gone  out  to  fight  him  and  his  people. 
This  made  me  sorry.  I  cannot  tell  you  of  all  the 
things  I  saw  at  his  village,  and  now  let  the  White 
Chief  say  what  I  shall  do  and  my  whole  tribe  will 
help  him.  Muro  will  tell  you  what  he  has  learned, 
because  he,  too,  knows  him." 

"I  do  not  know  how  to  tell  you  about  this  won 
derful  man,"  said  Muro.  "I  have  seen  him  refuse 
to  kill  his  enemies,  when  he  could  easily  do  it.  He 


COMPACT   BETWEEN   THE   TRIBES  15 

healed  the  Kurabus,  and  returned  him  to  his 
friends,  and  that  is  something  new  for  us  to  think 
about.  His  enemies  are  our  enemies,  and  his 
friends  are  our  friends." 

This  remarkable  scene,  which  took  place  on  the 
battle-field,  could  not  be  properly  understood 
without  some  explanation  of  the  preceding  affairs 
in  the  history  of  Wonder  Island. 

About  a  year  and  a  half  previous  to  this,  the 
Professor  referred  to,  and  two  boys,  George  May- 
field  and  Harry  Crandall,  who  were  companions  on 
the  school  ship  Investigator,  were  wrecked  and 
cast  ashore  on  the  island.  It  was  fortunate  that 
they  landed  on  a  portion  of  the  island  remote  from 
the  inhabited  part,  and  for  several  months  had 
no  idea  that  any  human  beings  lived  there. 

They  had  absolutely  nothing  but  their  clothing ; 
not  even  a  knife  or  other  tool,  but  despite  this, 
set  to  work  to  make  all  the  appliances  used  in 
civilized  life.  The  preceding  volumes  showed  how 
this  was  done,  and  what  the  successive  steps  were 
to  obtain  food  and  clothing,  and  to  make  tools  and 
machinery. 

They  built  a  home,  and  put  up  a  water  wheel. 
a  workshop  and  laboratory;  captured  a  species 
of  cattle,  called  the  yak,  and  used  the  milk  for 
food,  and  trained  the  oxen  to  do  the  work  of 
transportation;  they  found  ramie  fiber  and  flax, 
built  a  loom  and  wove  goods  from  which  clothing 
was  made ;  they  found  various  metals,  in  the  form 
of  ore  and  extracted  them ;  and  finally  made  guns, 
electric  batteries,  and  did  other  things,  as  fast 
as  they  were  able  to  carry  on  the  work. 


16  THE   CONQUEST 

In  the  meantime  several  exploring  trips  were 
undertaken,  and  they  learned  of  the  existence  of 
savage  tribes,  and  what  was  more  startling  still, 
ascertained  that  other  boats,  belonging  to  the  ill- 
fated  Investigator,  had  been  cast  ashore,  and  later 
on  came  in  contact  with  several  tribes  with  whom 
they  had  a  number  of  fights,  and  by  chance  dis 
covered  a  tribe,  the  Tuolos,  who  held  two  of  the 
boys  in  captivity. 

These  they  rescued,  namely,  Thomas  Chambers 
and  Ealph  Wharton.  Eeturning  from  one  of  these 
expeditions  they  found  a  man  at  their  home,  who 
had  entirely  lost  his  memory.  This  was  John  L. 
Varney,  a  highly  educated  man,  who  had  seen  serv 
ice  in  many  lands,  and  later  on  was  restored  to 
reason. 

Prior  to  the  present  enterprise,  which  was  re 
lated  in  the  opening  pages,  a  chief,  Uraso,  of  the 
Osagas,  was  wounded  and  captured  by  them,  and 
taken  to  their  Cataract  home,  as  they  called  it, 
and  when  healed,  he  had  left  them,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  returning  to  his  own  tribe,  so  that  he 
might  bring  them  to  the  Cataract  as  friends;  but 
he  was  captured  and  detained. 

During  this  interim,  the  last  expedition  was  or 
ganized,  and  after  some  mishaps,  they  proceeded 
into  the  part  of  the  country  where  the  savages 
lived,  and  on  the  way  rescued  the  chief  of  the 
Saboros,  and  also  a  former  companion  of  John. 

Two  weeks  before  our  story  begins,  the  Pro 
fessor  was  captured  by  a  band  of  Berees,  and 
taken  to  their  village,  where  he  was  instrumental 
in  healing  the  chief's  favorite  daughter,  and  in 


COMPACT   BETWEEN   THE   TRIBES  17 

gratitude,  placed  his  warriors  at  the  Professor's 
disposal  to  rescue  his  friends,  who  were  about  to 
be  attacked  by  the  hostile  tribes. 

The  Professor  saw  and  rescued  two  more  of 
the  shipwrecked  boys,  who  were  held  captive  by 
the  Berees,  and  together  they  started  to  relieve 
the  occupants  of  the  wagon.  The  various  tribes 
had  been  at  war  with  each  other,  and  when  they 
learned  that  the  wagon  with  the  whites  was  en 
tering  their  country,  all  sought  to  effect  the  cap 
ture  ;  but  the  enmity  between  certain  tribes  caused 
several  of  them  to  unite  and  the  three  most  bit 
ter  and  vindictive,  namely,  the  Tuolos,  Kurabus 
and  the  Illyas,  were  opposed  to  the  Osagas,  the 
Saboros  and  the  Berees. 

It  was  fortunate  that  all  these  forces  met  at  the 
place  where  the  wagon  was  located,  and  in  the 
battle  which  followed,  the  whites  and  their  allies 
won.  The  situation  was,  however,  that  the  victory 
might  soon  be  a  fruitless  one,  because  the  three 
tribes  could  muster  a  larger  force  than  the  four 
tribes  now  joined  under  the  Professor,  and  might 
renew  the  attack  at  any  time. 

"Let  us  now  see  what  the  situation  is,"  said  the 
Professor,  to  the  chiefs.  "I  have  made  a  map  of 
the  island,  showing  where  the  various  tribes  are 
located,  and  where  the  villages  are  situated,  so 
we  may  all  have  a  like  understanding." 

"I  would  suggest,"  said  John,  "that  a  part  of 
the  force  be  sent  to  the  Cataract  and  bring  all  the 
machinery  and  stock  we  have  at  that  place,  to  this 
part  of  the  island,  where  it  can  be  set  up  and 


18  THE   CONQUEST 

operated.  In  that  way  we  can  the  more  readily 
teach  the  people  how  to  do  the  work." 

"That  is  absolutely  necessary,  as  it  is  too  far  off 
where  the  plant  is  now  located,  to  be  of  service 
to  us." 

"If  yon  will  allow  me  to  say  something  it 
might  help  ns,"  remarked  Muro.  "Let  the  Pro- 


X  Friendly  Tribt*. 


Q  Q 

0°° 


O° 


j 

»«*"  Jaeast. 


of  the  ttiagort  anci  a,ttac1cin4  Forces 

fessor  select  a  certain  number  of  warriors  from 
each  tribe,  to  go  to  your  village  and  bring  the 
things  here,  and  others  will  remain,  and  watch 
our  enemies." 

"That  is  a  good  idea,"  observed  Blakely,  "but 
before  doing  that  I  think  we  ought  to  muster  our 
forces,  so  that  we  may  know  what  we  have  to 


COMPACT   BETWEEN   THE   TRIBES  19 

depend  on,  and  the  chiefs  can  tell  us  who  are  the 
best  fitted  for  the  various  tasks." 

"Your  view  is  the  correct  one,"  answered  the 
Professor,  "and  Muro,  you,  Uraso  and  Ealsea,  in 
form  all  of  them  what  is  required.  I  shall  expect 
you,  Blakely,  to  take  charge  of  the  mustering  of 
the  forces." 

The  suggestion  was  understood  and  agreed  to 
by  all,  and  the  various  tribes  were  arranged  in 
columns. 

The  Professor  addressed  them  as  follows :  "In 
our  country,  we  have  a  plan  for  everything  we 
do,  and  everything  is  done  in  order.  We  try  to 
follow  the  plan  in  which  the  Great  Spirit  orders 
everything  done.  We  want  every  man  to  do  some 
thing  and  be  responsible  for  one  part  of  the  work." 

"While  the  people  are  gone  to  the  White  Chiefs 
village,  others  might  go  to  the  Berees'  village  and 
bring  the  Great  Chief  Suros,  as  he  is  wise,  and 
we  should  like  to  have  him  here,"  added  Uraso. 

"Your  suggestion,"  said  the  Professor,  "is  a 
wise  one,  and  it  will  show  how  earnest  you  are  in 
making  this  bond  a  lasting  one  among  you.  I 
thank  you  for  calling  attention  to  the  matter,  and 
it  shall  be  acted  on  at  once." 

The  muster  roll,  as  prepared  by  Blakely,  showed 
the  following  results: 

The  Berees:  Sub-chief  Kalsea  and  eighty-five 
warriors. 

The  Osagas :  Chief  Uraso,  two  sub-chiefs  and 
one  hundred  and  ten  warriors. 

The  Saboros :  Chief  Muro,  three  sub-chiefs  and 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  warriors. 


20  THE   CONQUEST 

The  Brabos:    Chief  Oma,  two  sub-chiefs  and 
one  hundred  and  five  warriors. 

The  whites  were  enumerated  as  follows : 
The  Professor. 
John  L.  Varney. 
Samuel  Blakely. 

'George  Mayfield, 

Harry  Crandall, 

Thomas  Chambers, 


The  boys 


Ealph  Wharton, 


James  Redfield, 
.William  Eudel. 

The  combined  force  thus  numbered  four  hun 
dred  and  twenty-four,  not  counting  Angel.  It 
should  be  said  that  Angel  was  an  orang-outan, 
captured  while  a  baby,  and  he  had  been  educated 
by  George  to  do  many  wonderful  things.  It  is 
well  known  that  these  animals  are  great  imitators, 
but  this  one  really  learned  many  useful  things. 
One  of  them  was  to  climb  the  tallest  trees  and 
warn  George  of  the  approach  of  enemies,  and 
this  was  such  a  wonderful  thing,  that  Muro  ex 
plained  it  to  his  people  and  they  really  admired 
the  animal,  and  who  was,  in  consequence,  a  great 
pet. 

When  the  council  met  the  Professor  said:  "I 
will  detail  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  to  accom 
pany  John  to  our  village  to  bring  the  things  from 
that  place,  and  those  remaining  will  go  to  the 
Brabos'  village  to  watch  our  enemies  and  to  pro 
tect  the  home  of  our  friends.  Ealsea  should  take 
the  litter  and  twenty  men  and  go  after  the  Great 


COMPACT   BETWEEN   THE   TRIBES  21 

Chief  Suros,  and  bring  him  here,  so  that  we  may 
consult  with  him." 

"We  have  thirty  guns,"  said  John,  "and  at  least 
half  should  be  left  with  you  while  we  are  away." 

"It  might  also  be  well,"  remarked  Blakely,  "to 
have  the  different  chiefs  select  the  most  compe 
tent  men  in  the  four  tribes  to  whom  instructions 
might  be  given  in  the  use  of  the  guns,  and  I  will 
drill  them  and  show  how  to  handle  them  to  the 
best  advantage." 

The  four  chiefs  selected  the  men  for  the  expe 
dition  from  the  respective  tribes,  and  the  four 
boys  who  had  been  together  for  so  long,  begged 
that  they  might  be  of  the  party  also,  and  the 
Professor  could  not  deny  them  this  privilege. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  entire  force  started 
on  the  march  for  the  Brabos'  village,  and  before 
night  arrived  at  the  main  one,  where  the  Profes 
sor  and  his  party  had  the  first  close  sight  of  the 
village  and  the  inhabitants. 

Runners  were  sent  ahead  to  inform  the  people 
of  the  expected  arrivals.  This  was  the  first  time 
in  the  history  of  the  island  that  a  foreign  tribe  had 
ever  visited  them,  except  in  a  hostile  manner,  and 
the  curiosity  of  the  women  and  children  was  in 
tense. 

Oma,  the  chief,  had  graciously  ordered  the  best 
hut  for  the  Professor,  but  he  declined  it  with  many 
thanks,  and  presented  the  chief's  wife  with  one  of 
the  mirrors,  which  delighted  them.  Some  of  the 
warriors  were  designated  to  procure  game,  and 
others  to  bring  in  wood  for  the  fires,  and  the 


22  THE   CONQUEST 

most  skilled  were  selected  to  scout  to  the  north 
west  to  determine  the  movements  of  the  enemy. 

In  the  morning,  John  and  his  party,  with  the 
wagon,  started  for  the  Cataract  home.  Uraso 
and  Muro  were  designated  to  accompany  them, 
and  you  may  be  sure  that  to  the  boys  this  trip 
had  in  it  every  enjoyment  that  could  be  brought 
to  them. 

"What  a  difference  there  is  in  things,  now," 
mused  Harry,  as  he  drove  the  yaks  along.  "I 
hope  they  will  have  no  trouble  with  those  treach 
erous  tribes  until  we  get  back." 

"It  makes  me  sad  to  think  that  we  have  to 
give  up  the  Cataract,"  said  George.  "The  past 
year  has  been  a  happy  one  to  all  of  us,  even 
though  we  have  had  serious  times.  And  what 
shall  we  do  with  the  flag?" 

They  had  made  a  beautiful  flag,  which  floated 
from  a  tall  staff  on  Observation  Hill.  It  would 
have  been  a  grief  to  permit  it  to  remain. 

John  overheard  the  conversation.  "Yes;  we 
shall  certainly  take  it  with  us,  and  teach  the 
natives  here  to  respect  it."  And  the  boys  ap 
plauded  the  sentiment. 

In  two  days  more  the  party  sighted  the  Cata 
ract,  and  saw  "Old  Glory"  floating  from  the  mast. 
When  they  saw  it  again,  they  took  off  their  hats 
and  gave  three  cheers.  This  so  astonished  the 
natives  that  they  could  not  understand  it,  and 
Uraso  told  his  people  that  the  flag  was  worshipped 
by  the  white  people. 

"Did  you  hear  what  Uraso  told  them!"  asked 
John* 


COMPACT   BETWEEN    THE    TEIBES  23 

"No;  what  was  it?" 

"He  said  that  white  people  did  not  carry  indi 
vidual  charms  to  ward  off  troubles,  but  that  they 
had  the  flag  for  that  purpose,  and  the  one  flag 
was  the  charm  of  all  the  people ;  and  he  also  told 
them  it  was  made  a  certain  way  for  that  purpose." 


CHAPTER  II 

BUSY  TIMES  AT  THE  CATARACT.      THE  ALARMING  NEWS 

THE  flag  incident,  and  Uraso's  interpretation  of 
it,  amused  the  boys  immensely. 

"Do  you  know  why  Uraso  thought  so?"  asked 
John. 

"No ;  I  can't  understand  why  he  ever  had  such 
an  idea,"  replied  Tom. 

"You  forget  it  has  been  our  custom,  ever  since 
I  can  remember,  to  go  to  Observation  Hill,  each 
day,  to  watch  the  sea,  in  the  hope  that  a  vessel 
might  be  sighted.  Uraso  thought  that  was  in 
tended  as  a  tribute  to  the  flag." 

"After  all,"  said  Ealph,  on  reflecting,  "they  are 
not  so  much  out  of  the  way,  and  the  flag  is  really 
our  talisman,  isn't  it?" 

"Yes;  because  it  is  a  real  protection,  and  not 
a  fancied  one.  It  is  a  symbol,  behind  which  lies 
all  the  power  of  a  material  kind,  which  is  able  to 
help  us  everywhere,  and  among  all  people.  The 
charm  which  the  savage  wears,  is  a  symbol  to  him. 
and  that  typifies  protection  from  some  unknown 
power.  To  us  that  is  a  reality,  and  we  know 
where  the  power  is." 

The  dear  old  Cataract  home.  How  the  boys 
roamed  over  every  part  of  it,  and  went  down  where 
the  cattle  were  still  ranging  around.  The  place 
was  a  study  for  the  warriors. 

"Now,  boys,  for  the  first  day  entertain  your  visi- 

24 


THE   ALARMING    NEWS  25 

tors,  show  them  everything,  and  amuse  them  in 
every  way  possible ;  and  after  to-morrow  we  must 
commence  work  in  earnest,"  was  John's  injunction 
to  the  boys. 

What  could  be  more  natural  than  to  start  the 
water  wheel  in  motion?  The  warriors  stood  on 
the  bank,  watched  them  push  it  in  place,  and  then 
the  sawmill  was  started.  The  process  of  turning- 
out  lumber  with  the  saw  was  marvelous.  Every 
part  of  the  shop  was  filled,  as  the  boys  set  the 
grindstone,  the  lathe,  and  the  gristmill  into 
motion. 

When  a  log  was  finally  secured  to  be  cut  into 
shafts  for  spears,  and  they  saw  the  wood-turning 
lathe  make  the  shaft  round  and  true,  their  enthu 
siasm  knew  no  bounds. 

"Tell  them,  Muro,  that  is  what  we  want  them  to 
do,"  said  John,"  and  they  opened  their  eyes  at 
the  possibilities. 

There  was  still  quite  an  amount  of  barley  which 
had  not  been  ground,  and  the  willing  warriors 
helped  the  boys  bring  a  lot  to  the  mill  and  the 
production  of  the  flour  before  their  eyes  was  such 
an  amazing  thing  that  they  could  not  even  give 
vent  to  their  expressions. 

Early  in  the  day  one  of  the  bullocks  had  been 
killed  by  John's  order,  and  a  roasting  pit  dug 
out,  and  this  was  now  being  prepared  for  the  prin 
cipal  meal  of  the  day,  and  many  of  them  were 
interested  in  this  new  way  of  roasting  an  entire 
carcass. 

A  quantity  of  vegetables  had  also  been  gathered 
by  the  parties  detailed  for  the  purpose,  and  George 


26  THE    CONQUEST 

was  the  busiest  of  the  lot,  as  he  personally 
attended  to  the  cooking  of  the  various  dishes.  He 
had  most  willing  helpers,  each  one  trying  to  lend 
a  hand,  so  that  he  did  little  more  than  direct. 

But  he  was  determined  to  have  bread,  and  it  did 
not  take  long  to  improvise  an  old  Dutch  oven 
with  the  firebrick,  and  in  this  a  fire  was  built,  so 


that  the  bricks  were  heated  up  intensely,  and  the 
fire  then  withdrawn,  and  a  cover  put  over  the 
chimney.  The  heated  brick,  therefore,  did  the 
baking.  Loaf  after  loaf  was  put  in,  and  while 
the  dough  had  not  risen  as  it  should  have  done, 
owing  to  lack  of  time,  still  the  bread  produced 
was  something  so  unlike  anything  the  natives  had 
ever  seen,  that  the  making  of  it  in  their  presence 
was  a  joy,  to  say  nothing  of  the  eating  of  it  when 
the  meal  was  served. 

It  was  not  only  a  picnic ;  it  was  a  feast.  None 
there,  excepting  Uraso  and  Stut,  had  ever  tasted 
such  things  before.  They  knew  what  honey  was, 
but  sugar  was  a  novelty,  and  this  was  supplied 


THE   ALARMING    NEWS  27 

without  stint.  George  had  no  opportunity  to  make 
any  delicacies  in  the  form  of  cakes,  but  he  made 
a  barley  pudding  in  which  was  a  bountiful  supply 
of  sago. 

After  the  meal,  John  called  the  boys  together 
and  said:  "Before  dismantling  the  place  here  it 
has  occurred  to  me  that  there  are  some  things 
which  we  ought  to  make,  because  it  will  take  some 
time  to  set  up  the  parts,  even  after  we  get  them 
in  the  new  locality.  I  believe  we  still  have  quite 
a  quantity  of  the  cast-steel  bars,  from  which  we 
intended  making  gun  barrels." 

"In  looking  over  the  stock  to-day,"  said  Harry, 
"I  find  we  have  sufficient  to  make  at  least  fifty 
barrels,  and  I  have  prepared  the  lathe  to  do  just 
what  you  have  suggested." 

"Good  boy,"  responded  John.  "You  and  Tom 
keep  at  that,  and  don't  mind  about  anything  else. 
If  we  can  once  get  the  barrels  bored  out,  and  the 
fittings  made,  we  can  put  them  together  without 
having  the  shop  in  running  order." 

"In  talking  with  Harry  yesterday,"  said  Tom, 
"we  made  up  the  scheme  of  putting  a  small  bench 
in  the  wagon,  with  the  vise,  so  that  we  can  put 
together  some  of  the  guns  on  our  way." 

"All  that  is  in  the  right  direction.  And  now, 
another  thing.  The  wagon  we  have  is  not  at  all 
adequate  for  what  we  have  to  take  with  us,  but 
we  have  plenty  of  people  to  carry  things,  and  they 
will  be  glad  to  do  it,  but  some  things  are  very  in 
convenient  to  carry,  so  that  it  will  be  of  material 
assistance  if  we  build  another  wagon." 


28  THE   CONQUEST 

The  boys  looked  at  John,  merrily  laughing  at 
the  suggestion. 

"Just  the  thing,"  said  Kalph,  "and  it  is  easily 
done.  We  still  have  the  old  wheels  that  were 
used  before  we  built  the  last  set." 

"Quite  true ;  I  had  entirely  forgotten  about  that. 
Uraso  will  help,  and  will  be  just  the  fellow  to 
direct  his  men.  Now  let  us  start  at  this  with 
vigor.  We  must  return  as  early  as  possible.  The 
hostiles  may  attack  the  Professor  at  any  time,  and 
the  weapons  are  necessary  articles." 

As  they  were  about  to  separate,  Harry  re 
marked  :  "We  have  a  quantity  of  the  iron  which 
we  made,  and  instead  of  carrying  it  along  in  the 
wagon,  it  occurred  to  me  that  we  ought  to  forge 
out  some  spears  and  bolos." 

"I  had  counted  on  doing  that  myself,  but  many 
thanks  for  the  suggestion,"  answered  John. 

There  was  one  thing  noticeable  in  all  the  war 
riors,  and  that  was  the  universal  tattoo.  This 
was  something  practiced  by  all.  Referring  to  the 
custom,  Ralph  asked:  "What  is  the  cause  of  the 
tattooing  habit?" 

John  looked  at  him  with  a  smile,  as  he  answered : 
"People  who  wear  few  clothes  want  something 
with  which  to  decorate  themselves.  The  idea  al 
ways  was  and  always  will  be,  to  improve  on  nature. 
That  is  one  of  the  reasons.  The  other  is,  that  it 
was  an  original  way  of  distinguishing  one  individ 
ual  from  another.  You  will  notice  among  these 
people,  that  the  chiefs  have  a  different  tattoo  from 
the  others  in  the  tribe.5' 

"Do  you  mean  that  the  name  of  each  man 


THE   ALARMING    NEWS 


29 


was   tattooed   so   he   would   be   known  in   that 
way?" 

"Yes;  and  also  to  designate  his  rank.  The 
names  of  great  warriors  and  wise  men  of  the  tribe* 
are  generally  descriptive.  The  North  American 
Indian  adopted  that  course,  and  it  was  a  very 
sensible  thing  to  do.  You  have  heard  of  Sitting 


Bull,  Rain  in  the  Face  (that  is,  a  pock-marked 
individual),  Antelope,  and  others  of  like  charac 
ter,  could  be  drawn,  and  thus  convey  the  name 
without  difficulty.  Uraso  and  Muro  mean  some 
particular  things  or  objects  which  can  be  depicted, 
and  thus  one  tribe  can  communicate  with  the  other, 
even  though  they  do  not  understand  each  other's 
language." 

"Then  clothing  is  also  another  way  of  showing 
rank  or  title?" 


30  THE   CONQUEST 

"In  countries  where  people  are  compelled  to 
wear  covering  as  a  matter  of  comfort,  the  cloth 
ing  was  adopted  as  a  means  of  expressing  the 
person's  position  in  life." 

After  John  and  his  party  left  the  Brabos'  vil 
lage,  the  Professor  called  Blakely  into  consulta 
tion,  and  advised  him  to  organize  the  remaining 
warriors  into  some  cohesive  form,  and  provide  a 
definite  and  orderly  plan  of  carrying  out  the  scout 
ing  and  picketing  tactics  necessary  to  keep  them 
advised  of  the  movements  of  the  hostiles. 

Blakely  had  already  acquired  a  fairly  good 
knowledge  of  the  rudiments  of  the  native  tongue, 
so  that  he  was  able  to  get  along  well  in  giving  his 
orders  and  disposing  of  the  warriors.  He  was 
ably  seconded  by  Ealsea  and  Sutoto;  and  espe 
cially,  the  latter,  became  one  of  the  most  impor 
tant  factors  in  the  organization  of  the  tribes  in 
making  a  strong  and  intelligent  fighting  force. 

Two  days  after  John  left,  it  was  announced  that 
the  old  Chief  Suros  was  on  his  way  from  the 
southern  part  of  the  island,  and  the  Professor 
headed  a  party  of  thirty  picked  men,  accompanied 
by  Sutoto,  to  welcome  him.  The  warriors  were 
taken  from  the  four  tribes. 

They  met  the  litter,  bearing  the  Chief,  fully  five 
miles  from  the  village,  and  Suros  was  visibly  af 
fected  at  the  honor  shown  him.  The  Professor 
extended  every  act  of  courtesy,  and  when  they 
arrived  at  the  village,  the  Professor  was  quick 
to  give  him  the  full  details  of  all  the  happenings 
since  their  last  interview. 

"We  have  talked  over  the  plan^  to  make  you 


TRE   ALARMING    NEWS  31 

and  all  of  your  people  happy  and  strong.  I  have 
Bent  a  number  of  the  warriors  to  my  village,  and 
they  will  bring  all  our  things  with  them,  so  that 
we  may  put  them  up  in  your  country,  and  teach 
your  people  how  to  build  and  to  make  useful  arti 
cles,  and  beautiful  ornaments." 

"I  have  heard  the  wonderful  things  which  you 
have  done,  and  what  you  have  promised,  and  we 
will  try  and  follow  your  words,"  he  answered. 

"I  have  told  the  people  that  you  must  be  here, 
as  we  value  your  wisdom.  We  would  go  to  you, 
but  we  still  have  powerful  enemies  to  the  north, 
and  they  are  waiting  to  attack  us.  Until  we  are 
safe  from  them  we  cannot  go  to  you;  but  when 
my  people  return  we  will  be  better  prepared  to 
resist." 

The  chief  was  visibly  affected  at  this  consider 
ation  for  him,  and  he  thanked  the  Professor  for 
sending  the  messengers. 

The  boys,  Jim  and  Will,  were  interested  ob 
servers  in  all  that  was  taking  place,  and  the  Pro 
fessor  had  them  about  him  at  all  times,  and  to 
them  he  communicated  his  orders.  Their  ready 
understanding  of  the  native  tongue  was  a  great 
help  to  the  Professor. 

It  was  for  this  reason  that  the  Professor  was 
glad  the  two  boys  were  content  to  remain  with 
him.  Speaking  about  the  savages,  to  the  Pro 
fessor,  Jim  remarked:  "There  is  always  one 
thing  which  seems  singular  about  these  fellows. 
They  are  awfully  quick  at  learning.  Now,  what  I 
can't  understand  is,  that,  quick  as  they  are,  they 


32  THE   CONQUEST 

do  not  seem  to  advance  very  much,  but  stay  in 
the  same  rut  right  along." 

The  Professor  smiled  at  the  observation,  as  he 
replied:  "Sir  John  Lubbock,  a  noted  English 
naturalist,  sums  up  his  estimate  of  the  savage 
mind  in  the  following  statement:  'Savages  unite 
the  character  of  childhood  with  the  passions  and 
strength  of  men.'  Their  utter  simplicity  is  their 
weakness.  When  that  is  aroused,  if  properly 
done,  they  become  men." 

"But  what  is  the  great  difficulty  in  the  way  of 
their  advance  ?" 

"The  greatest  writers  seem  to  agree  that  the 
primary  want  of  the  savage  is  a  rigid,  definite 
and  concise  law.  The  idea  of  order  does  not  ap 
peal  to  him,  except  to  a  limited  extent.  Like  chil 
dren,  they  do  not  go  beyond  the  immediate  thing. 
The  reasoning  faculties  are  not  impaired,  but  are 
undeveloped." 

But  Jim's  observation  was  true.  Blakely  early 
discovered  this  in  treating  with  the  natives,  and 
it  did  not  take  long  to  make  them  understand 
that  by  working  together  for  the  common  defense 
they  could  be  made  far  more  effective  than  by  per 
mitting  each  to  do  as  his  own  impulse  dictated. 

Thus,  by  constant  association  with  the  head  men 
in  the  different  tribes,  he  early  learned  who  were 
the  best  runners,  and  the  most  skillful  scouts,  and 
who  were  particularly  reliable  for  the  different 
branches  of  the  service. 

Sutoto,  as  stated,  was  the  most  valuable  factor, 
and  the  Professor  grew  to  love  him.  One  day  he 
came  in  great  haste,  and  said :  "I  have  news  for 


THE   ALARMING    NEWS  33 

yon.  The  tribes  are  directly  north  of  us,  and  ap 
pear  to  be  moving  to  the  east." 

"Do  you  know  how  large  a  force  they  have!" 

"Fully  three  hundred." 

"Have  you  any  theory  why  they  have  not  at 
tacked  us  before?" 

"I  think  they  are  sending  for  more  warriors." 

"How  many  more  can  they  depend  on  from  their 
tribes?" 

"Not  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two 
hundred." 

"Do  you  think  it  is  possible,  Blakely,  that  they 
have  learned  of  the  force  which  we  have  sent  to 
the  Cataract?" 

"This  movement  to  the  east  seems  to  indicate 
it." 

"In  order  to  satisfy  yourself  it  would  be  wise 
for  you  to  ascertain  their  actions  at  once." 

"I  have  selected  a  hundred  picked  men,  and 
shall  take  the  field  this  afternoon.  I  have  suspi 
cions  that  they  are  delaying  on  account  of  rein 
forcements,  or  waiting  for  reports  from  the  run 
ners  which  they  have,  no  doubt,  sent  to  the  Cata 
ract." 

"I  was  rather  stupid  in  that  matter,"  exclaimed 
the  Professor.  "I  had  overlooked  the  fact  that 
the  Kurabus  were  the  ones  who  attacked  us  at  the 
Cataract,  and  as  they  know  its  locality  it  is  but 
natural  they  should  make  an  advance  in  that 
quarter." 

Blakely  and  his  men  were  on  the  way  within 
a  half  hour  after  this  conversation.  This  was 
now  the  fifth  day  after  the  departure  of  John. 


34  THE    CONQUEST 

The  Professor,  and  the  chiefs,  Oma  and  Suros, 
were  in  daily  consultation,  and  together  were  de 
veloping  a  plan  by  which  the  different  tribal  inter 
ests  could  be  welded  together,  and  to  establish  a 
form  of  government  which  would  be  agreeable  to 
all. 

On  the  morning  of  the  sixth  day,  after  John's 
party  left  the  Brabos'  village,  three  of  the  hunters 
who  were  of  the  party  delegated  to  bring  in  game, 
and  one  of  whom  had  been  instructed  in  the  use 
of  the  gun,  captured  two  Kurabus  within  a  mile 
of  the  Cataract. 

These  were  brought  to  John  at  once,  and  there 
was  high  glee  at  the  success  of  the  hunters. 
Harry  was  the  first  to  see  the  captives  and  he 
rushed  in  to  John  with  this  information : 

"The  hunters  have  captured  two  Kurabus,  and 
who  do  you  suppose  is  one  of  them!  He  is  the 
fellow  we  wounded  and  brought  here  with  us. 
Don't  you  remember  the  one  we  carried  out  at  the 
time  I  put  an  inscription  on  his  litter?" 

John  smiled,  as  he  recalled  the  litter.  His  asso 
ciation  with  the  different  ones  made  him  fairly  well 
acquainted  with  the  language  by  this  time;  but 
Uraso  and  Muro  were  present.  As  they  were 
brought  in,  John  looked  at  them  and  his  brow  dark 
ened,  as  he  addressed  them  sternly. 

"Why  are  you  here  f " 

They  cringed  before  his  piercing  look. 

"Answer  me!  Do  you  want  us  to  kill  all  of 
your  people?  Did  you  tell  your  chief  when  we 
let  you  go,  that  we  did  not  want  war,  but  peace  ?" 

Neither  of  them  answered,  but  shrank  back. 


THE   ALAKMING    NEWS  35 

John  assumed  a  terrible  anger,  as  he  continued: 
"We  healed  you,  and  tried  to  show  our  friend 
ship,  but  you  tried  to  kill  us.  Is  that  what  you 
people  believe  in?" 

Tama,  who  was  the  warrior  alluded  to  by  Harry, 
soon  recovered  his  speech,  and  after  glancing 
around  at  the  chiefs,  said:  "The  chiefs  would 
not  believe  what  you  said." 

"What  are  you  here  for  now?" 

"I  was  sent  here  to  see  what  you  were  doing." 

"How  many  we^e  sent?" 

"No  one  but  Eeto  and  myself." 

"Lock  them  up,"  said  John,  "and  keep  a  good 
guard  over  them.  So  that  is  their  game,  is  it? 
So  much  the  more  important  for  us  to  get  the 
weapons  ready." 

The  new  wagon  was  now  ready  for  the  top, 
and  this  was  completed  in  short  work.  John 
started  on  the  bolos  immediately,  and  also  forged 
out  a  number  of  spears.  The  boys  were  set  to 
work  preparing  the  stocks  for  the  barrels,  and 
these  were  cut  out  in  the  rough  at  the  sawmill, 
and  several  more  knives  prepared.  The  most 
skillful  of  the  warriors  were  then  instructed  to 
dress  them  up  and  get  them  ready  for  the  barrels. 

The  work  was  prosecuted  not  only  during  the 
day,  but  at  night,  as  well.  It  was  fortunate  that 
during  the  time  the  yaks  were  lost,  some  months 
before,  they  had  trained  a  pair  to  drive,  and  these 
were  now  again  yoked  up  to  give  them  experi 
mental  training  for  the  coming  journey. 

Meantime  John  consulted  Muro  and  IJraso,  and 
the  three  picked  out  the  most  trustworthy  scouts. 


36  THE   CONQUEST 

Giving  them  explicit  instructions  to  proceed  west 
ward,  and  discover,  if  possible,  whether  their 
enemies  were  making  any  movement  toward  the 
Cataract,  and  if,  on  the  other  hand,  the  movement 
was  toward  the  Professor  and  the  Brabos'  village, 
to  send  one  runner  to  the  village  and  the  other 
back  to  the  Cataract. 

In  less  than  ten  days'  time  Harry  had  turned 
out  thirty-two  barrels,  and  John  had  given  a  great 
deal  of  attention  to  the  preparation  of  the  ammu 
nition. 


CHAPTER 

INTERCEPTING    THE    MARCH    OF   THE   CONFEDERATED 
THE  TREASURE 

BLAKELY  started  north  with  the  picked  warri 
ors,  and  before  evening  came  in  sight  of  them, 
headed  for  the  east  It  was  evident  that  they 
were  about  to  go  to  the  Cataract. 

Sutoto  begged  to  be  permitted  to  go  there  and 
inform  them  of  the  danger  of  attack,  and  Blakely 
consented,  and  without  waiting  for  the  morning, 
was  on  his  way.  He  traveled  most  of  the  night, 
reaching  the  place  in  the  afternoon,  and  was  re 
ceived  by  John  and  the  others  with  the  most 
effusive  welcome. 

"What  are  you  here  for?"  asked  John  hur 
riedly. 

"The  tribes  are  coming  this  way." 

"I  have  just  learned  from  one  of  our  runnera 
that  they  went  far  to  the  north  of  you,  and  as 
sumed  that  the  intention  was  to  attack  us." 

"The  Professor  should  be  warned  at  once,"  was 
Sutoto's  response. 

"I  have  instructed  that  to  be  done,"  answered 
John. 

The  scenes  around  the  Cataract  were  intensely 
interesting  to  him.  He  wandered  around  with 
the  boys,  and  asked  questions  on  every  conceiv 
able  subject.  Blakely  had  given  him  one  of  the 
guns,  and  he  was  taken  to  the  workshop  and  told 

37 


38  THE    CONQUEST 

how  they  were  made.  These  things  so  fascinated 
him  that,  hungry  as  he  was,  he  could  hardly  be  in 
duced  to  take  time  for  his  meals. 

The  boys  admired  him  immensely,  and  together 
they  acted  like  boys.  The  water  wheel;  the  saw 
mill;  the  two  stones  which  served  as  the  grist 
mill;  the  grindstones;  the  lathes;  and  the  little 
foundry  were  entrancing. 

When  the  boys  took  him  to  the  blacksmith  shop, 
and  he  saw  the  forge,  and  the  numerous  spear 
heads  which  John  had  turned  out,  as  well  as  the 
bolos,  his  eyes  showed  the  intense  delight  the  sight 
afforded  him. 

The  next  morning  one  of  the  runners  appeared 
and  stated  that  the  tribes  were  still  waiting,  and 
also  imparted  the  further  information  that  Blakely 
and  his  party  were  at  a  safe  distance,  and  un 
known  to  the  hostiles. 

It  was  obvious  now  that  they  were  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  the  two  scouts  who  had  been  captured 
before  advancing.  Several  scouts  and  runners 
were  again  sent  forward,  with  instructions  to  re 
turn  with  information  the  moment  an  advance 
was  made. 

When  Blakely  reached  the  vicinity  of  their  con 
federated  enemies,  he  thought  it  wise  to  keep  in  the 
background,  and  was  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the 
delay  during  the  entire  day,  but  before  evening 
one  of  the  Berees,  who  had  been  sent  by  John,  ar 
rived  in  camp. 

"I  have  just  come  from  the  white  man's  vil 
lage,  and  they  know  that  the  tribes  are  moving  in 
that  direction." 


MAECH    OF    THE    CONFEDEEATES  39 

"How  did  they  discover  it?" 

"We  captured  two  spies  and  have  them  as  cap 
tives." 

This  information  suggested  the  cause  of  the  de 
lay.  He  immediately  called  a  runner,  and  indited 
the  following  letter:  "I  am  keeping  on  the  watch, 
and  am  not  afraid  to  attack  the  whole  of  them,  if 
need  be.  If  the  guns  you  are  making  are  not 
completed,  do  not  worry  about  it,  as  I  shall  keep 
them  interested  here  for  several  days  longer.  I 
will  not  appear  unless  I  find  they  have  taken  up 
the  march  in  your  direction.  Blakely." 

The  following  day  the  scouts  informed  Blakely 
that  the  allies  had  broken  camp  and  were  about 
to  move  to  the  east.  Calling  the  warriors  together, 
he  addressed  them  as  follows:  "My  friends;  we 
are  about  to  meet  your  enemies,  not  for  the 
purpose  of  fighting  them,  but  to  prevent  them 
from  attacking  our  friends  at  the  white  man's 
home.  Our  friends  there  are  preparing  the  fire 
guns  for  us,  before  they  come  to  us,  and  we  must 
now  stand  together  to  prevent  them  from  going 
there  until  we  are  ready  to  meet  them." 

The  warriors  all  crowded  around,  and  showed 
by  their  attitude  that  they  could  be  depended 
upon. 

"We  have  with  us  eleven  fire  guns,  and  I  will 
now  tell  you  how  we  must  fight  them,  if  it  is 
necessary.  I  will  stand  in  the  center  of  the  front 
line,  with  the  guns,  and  on  each  side  of  us  will 
be  the  ones  I  shall  select.  All  those  in  front  will 
have  bows  and  arrows,  but  you  will  not  need  them, 
unless  they  come  up  too  close.  We  must  now 

84 


40  THE   CONQUEST 

march  to  the  right,  as  fast  as  we  can,  and  get  be 
tween  them  and  our  friends." 

The  column  started  out  on  its  mission,  and  made 
its  way  with  the  utmost  speed  to  the  east,  and  be 
fore  noon  turned  to  the  north,  being  thus  placed 
directly  in  the  path  of  the  oncoming  forces.  The 
allies  moved  along  deliberately,  entirely  unaware 
of  the  existence  of  any  force. 

Before  four  o'clock  the  first  signs  of  the  ad 
vance  were  observed.  Blakely  had  selected  a 
strong  position  on  a  slight  elevation,  on  the  east 
side  of  one  of  the  little  streams  which  flowed  into 
the  Cataract  River,  that  commanded  an  open  front. 
His  entire  force  was  placed  between  two  natural 
objects,  the  right  resting  behind  a  rocky  pro 
jection  and  the  left  to  the  rear  of  a  heavy  cha 
parral  of  wood. 

Entirely  unsuspecting,  the  allies  marched  along 
the  stream,  and  crossed  not  a  hundred  yards  be 
low.  When  they  were  within  hailing  distance,  John 
and  Ralsea  suddenly  appeared  in  front  of  their 
concealed  column,  and  the  latter,  at  the  instiga 
tion  of  Blakely,  addressed  them  as  follows : 

"The  white  men  do  not  want  war,  but  peace.  They 
have  come  only  to  rescue  their  own  people.  You 
must  give  them  up,  or  there  can  be  no  peace.  The 
white  chief  tells  me  that  if  you  injure  or  kill  the 
white  men  you  now  have  he  will  hold  you  respon 
sible,  because  he  is  powerful,  and  is  now  ready  to 
destroy  you  and  your  wives  and  children,  but  he 
does  not  want  to  do  that.  We  are  here  to  prevent 
you  from  going  to  the  white  man's  house." 

The  consternation  on  the  faces  of  the  savages,  at 


MARCH    OF    THE   CONFEDERATES  41 

the  appearance  of  two,  was  easily  discernible. 
They  listened  in  silence  while  Ralsea  spoke,  and 
then  indicated  that  they  would  hold  a  council  and 
give  their  answer. 

It  was  evident  that  the  allies  were  taken  by  sur 
prise,  and  it  must  have  been  obvious  that  they  had 
no  idea  of  the  force  which  was  in  their  front. 
Blakely  had  wisely  stationed  pickets  to  the  right 
and  the  left,  in  order  to  observe  their  movements 
after  the  first  surprise  was  over. 

The  conference  lasted  until  night  fell,  and  thus 
the  first  object  was  gained;  delay.  In  the  morn 
ing  one  of  the  chiefs  appeared,  and  Blakely  and 
Ralsea  again  went  to  the  front. 

"I  will  give  you  our  answer,"  he  said.  "The 
white  man  attacked  us,  and  we  fought  him  back. 
He  has  killed  our  warriors,  and  we  will  not  treat 
with  him  at  this  time." 

Ralsea  replied :  "You  have  done  the  same  that 
we  have  done  toward  the  white  man;  we  were  al 
ways  the  first  to  attack  them.  They  tried  to  be 
friendly,  but  we  would  not  listen  to  them." 

"We  will  let  you  know  in  two  suns  what  our  an 
swer  is."  And  he  withdrew. 

"That  means,"  remarked  Ralsea,  "that  they  are 
waiting  for  reinforcements." 

"So  much  the  better.  We  will  be  reinforced 
much  better  than 'they  by  the  time  their  reinforce 
ments  come  to  hand." 

"We  must  send  a  runner  to  the  Great  White 
Chief,  and  tell  him  to  stop  the  Kurabus  from  com 
ing  to  their  assistance,"  said  Ralsea. 

"That  is  a  wise  suggestion,"  answered  Blakely; 


42  THE   CONQUEST 

and  without  delay  one  was  selected  and  made  Ms 
way  to  the  Brabos'  village. 

When  the  Professor  received  Blakely's  note  he 
called  in  the  Brabo  chief,  Oma,  and  said:  "The 
forces  we  sent  out  are  preventing  the  allies  from 
going  to  our  village,  and  have  sent  a  runner  here 
to  inform  us  that  the  Kurabus  are  about  to  send 
more  warriors  to  aid  our  enemies.  Select  one  hun 
dred  warriors  and  let  us  go  to  the  Kurabus'  vil 
lage  and  capture  the  warriors  who  are  there, 
and  also  put  the  villages  in  our  power.  This  may 
make  them  understand  that  they  have  no  homes 
to  go  to  unless  they  come  to  us." 

This  information  delighted  Oma,  and  he  hur 
riedly  gathered  the  warriors,  and  the  Professor 
concluded  to  accompany  them,  as  he  did  not  want 
the  warriors  to  commit  any  excesses  against  the 
villages  and  inhabitants  of  their  former  ene 
mies,  or  exact  any  reprisals  for  the  past  indignities 
that  some  of  them  had  suffered  from  the  Kurabus. 

A  day's  march  brought  them  close  to  the  main 
village,  and  scouts  were  sent  to  the  front  to  ascer 
tain  whether  the  warriors  still  remaining  in  the. 
village  had  gone  forward.  Before  the  scouts  could 
return  fully  fifty  warriors  emerged  from  the  vil 
lage,  and  were  taking  up  the  march  to  join  the 
allies. 

The  Professor  instructed  the  warriors  under  hia 
command  to  divide  into  three  parties,  one  to  re 
main  with  him,  and  the  others  to  go  to  the  right 
and  to  the  left,  so  that  the  Kurabus  would  thus 
be  entrapped. 

The  party  marched  forward  unsuspectingly,  di- 


MARCH   OF   THE   CONFEDERATES   43 

rectly  toward  the  position  occupied  by  the  Pro 
fessor,  and  he  instructed  Oraa  to  show  himself  and 
inform  them  that  they  were  surrounded  and  that 
resistance  would  be  useless. 

Some,  more  venturesome  than  others,  started  to 
retreat,  but  the  unexpected  appearance  of  the  Pro 
fessor's  warriors  drove  them  back,  and  without 
firing  a  shot  or  loosing  an  arrow  they  submitted. 
When  the  Professor  appeared  they  were  the  more 
surprised.  The  whole  were  marched  back  to  the 
village,  and,  although  the  women  tried  to  escape, 
all  were  soon  rounded  up  and  brought  back. 

The  captured  Kurabus  warriors  were  taken  to 
the  Brabos'  village,  and  the  women  informed  that 
they  would  not  be  injured,  as  the  white  man  did  not 
believe  in  making  war. 

The  Professor  at  once  sent  a  runner  to  Blakely 
and  also  to  John.  Two  days  afterwards  the  run 
ner  appeared  at  the  Cataract  with  the  following 
message  from  the  Professor: 

"We  captured  the  Kurabus'  village  to-day,  and 
all  the  warriors  left  there,  as  they  were  about  to 
leave  to  join  the  forces  now  before  Blakely.  We 
have  taken  all  of  them  to  the  Brabos'  village,  where 
they  will  be  held.  Make  the  utmost  speed  with  the 
weapons.  In  the  meantime,  I  have  sent  a  force  to 
the  north  to  intercept  any  reinforcments  that  the 
Tuolos  may  forward." 

The  message  from  Blakely  was  as  follows :  "We 
arrested  the  movement  of  the  allies  yesterday,  and 
asked  why  they  were  determined  to  attack  us. 
They  refused  to  give  an  answer,  and  they  are,  prob 
ably,  awaiting  reinforcements.  My  forces  are  be- 


44  THE   CONQUEST 

tween  them  and  the  Cataract,  and  they  will  give 
their  answer  in  two  days." 

All  this  news  was  imparted  to  the  people,  and 
the  knowledge  was  received  with  enthusiasm.  It 
gave  the  warriors  the  first  glimpse  of  the  value 
of  cooperation,  and  the  benefits  of  a  directing 
hand  in  their  affairs. 

At  the  Cataract  matters  were  progressing  fa 
vorably.  Reports  from  Blakely  and  the  Profes 
sor  assured  them  that  they  would  have  no  diffi 
culty,  in  a  few  days,  in  getting  at  least  thirty  of 
the  guns  ready.  Stut  proved  himself  to  be  the 
most  apt  pupil,  and  nothing  interested  him  as  much 
as  the  forge  and  anvil,  and  John,  noticing  this, 
set  him  to  work  on  the  small  anvil  to  forge  out 
arrow  heads. 

The  arrows  used  by  the  natives  were  uniformly 
of  stone,  but  the  metal  ones  were  perfect,  and 
so  arranged  that,  with  the  ramie  fiber,  could  be 
readily  attached  to  the  shaft.  The  most  deft 
workers  in  the  making  of  the  native  arrows  were 
selected,  and  together  they  made  up  a  large  quan 
tity  of  arrows,  and  Stut  seemed  to  be  indefati 
gable  in  turning  out  the  heads  for  the  workers. 

During  this  period  the  larder  was  not  forgot 
ten.  The  hunters  brought  in  every  day  an  im 
mense  quantity  of  taro,  which  seemed  to  be  their 
favorite  vegetable. 

This  is  a  stemless  plant,  which  has  heart-shaped 
leaves,  about  a  foot  long,  and  the  leaves  and  stalks 
are  prepared  by  them  in  the  same  way  that  we  use 
spinach  and  asparagus. 

But  the  tuber,  or  root,  of  this  vegetable  is  the 


MARCH   OF   THE   CONFEDERATES   45 

most  valuable  part.  It  is  larger  than  the  common 
beet,  and  sometimes  grows  to  a  foot  or  more  in 
length.  This  was  beaten  into  a  pulp  by  the  natives, 
and  made  into  a  bread  or  pndding. 


"I  like  the  taro,"  said  George.  <r[t  can  be  used 
in  so  many  ways,  and  I  want  to  try  it  in  the  differ 
ent  forms  as  soon  as  we  have  an  opportunity." 

"In  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  in  many  other 
places  it  is  the  vegetable  from  which  the  well- 
known  Poi  is  made,"  said  John. 


46  THE    CONQUEST 

"Do  you  know  how  it  is  made?"  asked  George. 

"It  is  beaten  up,  just  as  you  see  them  do  it 
here,  and  then  set  in  the  sun  to  ferment  for  about 
three  or  four  days.  It  is  afterwards  boiled  with 
fowl,  and  makes  a  very  pleasant  dish,  most  ap 
petizing  and  nourishing.  The  fermented  Poi  will 
last  for  weeks.  It  is  the  same  as  the  well-known 
kalo  of  the  Pacific  Island,  the  yu-tao  of  China,  the 
sato  imo  of  Japan,  and  the  oto  of  Central  Amer 
ica.  A  fine  dish  is  made  of  it  by  boiling  and  then 
covering  the  leaves  with  a  dressing  of  cocoanut 
oil." 

Harry  and  the  other  boys  had  been  in  consulta 
tion  for  several  days  concerning  the  cave,  and  a 
day  or  two  before  they  were  ready  to  start  had  a 
talk  with  John  about  the  treasure  there.  John 
listened  attentively,  and  when  they  had  finished, 
said: 

"You  are  quite  right  in  wanting  to  take  care  of 
the  valuables  there.  You  are  entitled  to  them." 

"But  they  are  yours,  as  much  as  ours,  and  we 
shall  not  touch  them  unless  it  is  with  the  under 
standing  that  you  shall  share  with  us,"  responded 
George. 

"I  could  not  consider  it  for  a  moment." 

"You  cannot  help  yourself,"  said  the  boys  in 
chorus.  "We  have  arranged  all  that  matter,  and 
you  have  nothing  to  say  about  it." 

"But,"  protested  John.    "I  do  not  deserve  it." 

"Well,  do  we?"  asked  Harry. 

"But  you  and  the  Professor  discovered  it." 

"Before  you  or  Kalph  and  Tom  came  we  ar 
ranged  the  division,  so  that  the  Professor  has  one- 


MAECH    OF    THE    CONFEDERATES    47 

third  of  it,  but  we  own  two-thirds,  and  that  we 
propose  to  divide  equally  among  all  of  us,"  added 
Harry. 

"Really,"  said  Ralph,  "Tom  and  I  are  in  the 
same  position  as  John,  and  we  feel  it  is  not  right 
to  take  a  share,  but  the  boys  insist  on  it." 

"Well,  if  you  consider  that  a  settlement,  I  must 
say  that  I  am  going  to  make  good  more  than  my 
share  and  the  shares  of  Ralph  and  Tom." 

"We  don't  want  you  to  make  it  good,"  insisted 
George. 

"But  you  can't  help  yourself  in  that.  The  cave 
in  the  Tuolos'  country  has  something  in  it  that 
will  make  you  wonder  as  much  as  the  treasure  you 
have  here,  and  it  will  be  fully  as  interesting  to  get 
at  and  recover  as  anything  you  have  experienced 
here." 

"When  do  you  think  we  ought  to  start  for  the 
west?"  asked  Harry. 

"Day  after  to-morrow  will  see  everything  ready. 
We  shall  then  have  all  the  ammunition  sufficient 
to  last  us  until  we  can  reestablish  the  plant,  and  as 
the  new  wagon  is  ready,  it  should  not  take  us 
more  than  a  day,  with  all  the  help  we  have,  to  load 
and  apportion  the  different  loads  among  the  war 
riors." 

"Then  why  can't  we  take  to-morrow  for  the  ex 
pedition  to  the  cave  I" 

"That  will  suit  admirably,"  he  replied. 

On  the  following  morning  the  boys  had  the  yaks 
yoked  up,  and  taking  with  them  a  number  of  the 
copper  vessels,  and  a  quantity  of  the  ramie  cloth, 
drove  over  to  the  side  of  the  hill  opposite  the  Cata- 


48  THE   CONQUEST 

ract  house,  so  as  to  reach  the  land  entrance  of  the 
caverns. 

"It  is  not  desirable  to  have  any  here  know  of 
our  visit  nor  our  purpose.  It  would  not  make  any 
material  difference,  as  the  treasure  there  is  of  no 
value  to  them;  but  our  motives  will  be  misunder 
stood,"  remarked  John. 

Under  the  circumstances  John  and  the  four  boys 
were  the  only  ones  in  the  party. 

"We  are  going  to  have  some  pretty  tough  work 
this  morning.  That  gold  weighs  something." 

"Wasn't  it  a  good  thing  you  suggested  the  mak 
ing  the  wagon  ?" 

John  smiled  without  saying  anything. 

The  boys  eyed  him  sharply,  and  finally  Harry 
said :  "That  is  what  you  suggested  the  new  wagon 
for,  was  it  not?" 

John  nodded  an  assent. 

"Did  the  Professor  say  anything  to  you  about 
bringing  it  along?" 

"He  did  say  it  might  be  taken  if  you  thought 
so." 

"Didn't  he  suggest  that  we  should  do  sol" 

"No ;  he  said  the  matter  was  left  entirely  to  your 
judgment,  and  that  I  should  not  say  anything 
about  it,  unless  you  proposed  that  course." 

"Well,  I  am  thinking  we  shall  have  a  pretty  good 
load  for  one  team  with  what  we  get  out  of  the 
place,"  said  George. 

"It  will  make  a  good  load,  but  we  can  add  to  it 
the  lightest  parts  of  the  stock  we  have  at  the 
Cataract." 

Before  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  a 


MARCH   OF   THE   CONFEDEEATES   49 

messenger  hurried  over  from  the  Cataract  with 
the  information  that  two  runners  had  arrived 
from  the  Professor  and  from  Blakely,  and  they 
drove  back  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  reached 
there  to  learn  that  another  had  just  arrived  from 
Blakely. 

The  two  runners  first  to  arrive  conveyed  the  in 
formation  stated  in  the  previous  chapter,  but 
the  last  carried  the  additional  news  that  there  had 
been  a  fight  between  Blakely  and  the  tribes,  and 
that  he  was  slowly  moving  back  to  the  Cataract, 
but  there  was  no  occasion  for  alarm. 

The  latter  part  of  the  note  read  as  follows :  "Do 
not  be  alarmed  and  continue  your  work,  and  if  the 
matter  should  be  at  all  serious  I  will  advise  you 
by  runner  in  ample  time,  and  shall  in  any  event 
send  another  in  the  next  four  hours." 

John  called  in  Muro  and  said : 

"The  forces  with  Blakely  are  having  a  fight  with 
the  tribes.  I  want  you  to  take  fifty  men,  and  also 
twenty-five  guns,  and  assist  Blakely  and  his  war 
riors,  and  keep  me  informed  of  the  progress  of 
events.  Tell  him  that  by  day  after  to-morrow  we 
shall  be  on  our  way.  In  the  meantime  you  should 
draw  them  this  way,  as  we  do  not  want  them  to  go 
back.  For  that  purpose  keep  up  the  show  of  re 
treating,  and  hold  them  until  day  after  to-mor 
row." 

Within  an  hour  the  column  was  ready  and  moved 
toward  the  scene  with  celerity,  equipped  with  the 
new  guns,  and  an  ample  supply  of  ammunition,  to 
gether  with  the  new  arrows  which  had  been  made. 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE   SURRENDER  OF  THE  KTJRABUS 

IT  was  late  that  afternoon  before  John  and  the 
boys  again  drove  over  to  the  hill,  and  lost  no  time 
in  entering  the  cave.  The  first  care  was  to  bring 
to  the  steps  at  the  entrance  all  the  vessels  in  the 
first  recess. 

Some  of  them  were  so  heavy  that  it  was  neces 
sary  for  four  to  carry  each  load.  They  then  pro 
ceeded  to  the  inner  recess,  and  here  a  search  was 
made  for  every  trace  of  the  treasures  there,  the 
time  required  thus  making  it  almost  dark  before 
they  were  able  to  carry  out  all  the  different  lots. 

These  were  all  stored  in  the  bottom  of  the  wagon. 
It  was  dark  as  they  started  for  the  Cataract.  As 
they  were  leaving  they  heard  the  night  cry  of  a  bird 
which  had  often  been  noticed  before,  and  Ralph 
shuddered,  as  he  said: 

"It  makes  me  tremble  whenever  I  hear  that 
doleful  sound.  It  was  above  our  head  all  of  the 
night  before  the  Tuolos  captured  us,  and  since  that 
time  it  always  sounded  like  an  omen  to  me." 

John  turned  to  him,  as  he  replied:  "That  is 
the  voice  of  the  bird  called  by  the  Spanish,  Alma 
Perdida." 

"Well  it  isn't  a  pleasant  sound,  to  say  the  least/' 
added  George. 

"It  is  very  significant  at  this  time,  however," 
remarked  John. 

50 


SURRENDER  OF  THE  KURABUS  51 

The  boys  all  turned  to  him,  as  he  continued: 
"It  is  the  'Cry  of  the  Lost  Soul';  that  is  what  the 
name  signifies." 

And  the  boys  thought  of  the  terrible  tragedy  in 
the  cave  they  had  just  left.  The  silence  on  the  way 
home  was  significant. 

The  next  morning  marked  the  greatest  activity 
in  and  about  the  buildings.  The  wagons  were  first 
loaded  with  the  things  contained  in  the  shop,  the 
laboratory  and  the  home.  Numerous  packages 
were  made  up  in  form  for  the  warriors  to  handle 
conveniently.  Nothing  was  permitted  to  remain, 
as  it  was  felt  that  the  things  they  had  made  were 
too  valuable  to  leave  behind.  It  was  past  noon  be 
fore  the  Jast  articles  were  secured  in  bundles. 

"You  should  explain  to  them,  Uraso,"  said  John, 
"that  we  shall  have  to  give  them  pretty  heavy 
loads  for  the  first  part  of  the  journey,  as  the  dif 
ferent  things  can  be  distributed  to  the  others  when 
we  reach  them." 

"It  will  not  be  necessary  to  do  this,'*  he  answered ; 
"they  are  only  too  glad  to  carry  the  heaviest 
loads."  And  he  refused  to  apologize  to  the  warri 
ors.  This  is  referred  to  for  the  purpose  of  show 
ing  the  spirit  in  which  all  of  them  worked  to  bring 
the  things  to  their  own  country. 

After  the  loads  were  all  provided  for,  and  the 
different  ones  instructed  as  to  the  parts  which, 
should  be  taken  by  each,  John  said: 

"There  is  one  thing  which  must  now  take  our 
attention,  and  that  is  the  bringing  in  of  the  flag." 

The  boys  had  forgotten  this.  "You  may  tell  the 
warriors,"  said  John,  addressing  Uraso,  "that  we 


52  THE    CONQUEST 

iutend  to  go  to  the  hill  and  bring -in  the  flag,  which 
must  be  taken  with  us." 

As  Uraso  interpreted  this  to  the  people  it  had 
a  remarkable  significance  to  them.  Uraso  begged 
permission  to  take  all  of  them  on  the  expedition, 
and  this  was  readily  assented  to. 

The  warriors  all  armed,  as  though  going  forth 
to  battle,  ascended  the  hill,  with  the  boys  in  the 
lead.  Arriving  there  John  formed  the  column  in 
a  circle  around  the  staff.  Angel  was  present,  and 
he  shambled  toward  the  pole  and  mounted  it.  He 
remembered  the  little  wheel  at  the  top,  which  had 
afforded  them  such  an  amusing  incident  when  it 
was  erected. 

This  time  he  came  down  without  much  solicita 
tion  on  the  part  of  George. 

"As  George  and  Harry  were  the  ones  to  hoist 
the  flag,  I  shall  delegate  them  to  lower  it,"  said 
John. 

The  boys  went  forward,  and  at  the  quiet  sugges 
tion  of  John  took  off  their  hats.  At  this  signal 
John  took  off  his,  and  Uraso  followed  suit,  and 
the  hint  was  sufficient  for  the  warriors,  who  stood 
with  uncovered  heads  while  the  boys  reverently 
lowered  it. 

The  wonder  and  amazement  depicted  on  the 
faces  of  those  who  witnessed  it  was  a  spectacle. 
What  an  impressive  thing  it  was  to  them;  it  was 
the  mystery,  which  to  the  savage  mind  is  always 
an  important  factor,  and  John  knew  it. 

The  flag  was  folded  with  the  greatest  care,  the 
natives  watching  each  move  with  intense  interest, 


SURRENDER  OF  THE  KURABUS  53 

and  was  then  wrapped  in  cloth,  as  though  it  was 
the  most  valuable  treasure  in  the  world. 

"We  want  them  to  feel  that  it  is  something  they 
must  love  and  protect.  It  is  safe  to  say,  that  after 
this  exhibition,  everyone  of  the  warriors  would 
have  fought  to  the  death  to  preserve  that  emblem 
of  power,  like  the  Israelites  of  old,  who  regarded 
the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  as  their  fortress  and 
strength." 

The  last  night  at  the  Cataract  was  a  sad  one 
for  the  boys.  For  a  year  and  a  half  it  had  been 
their  home.  They  had  built  every  part  of  it. 
Each  portion  had  some  delicious  memory  con 
nected  with  it,  and  all  must  now  be  left  to  the 
ravishes  of  time.  Only  the  water  wheel  would  be 
left. 

It  hardly  seems  possible  that  the  accumulations 
at  the  Cataract  would  make  over  one  hundred 
packages,  aside  from  the  contents  of  the  wagon. 
When  the  entire  stock  of  material  was  arranged 
the  next  morning,  it  was  an  interesting  sight. 

The  two  wagons  were  driven  out  from  the 
yard,  Harry  and  Tom  in  charge  of  one,  and  George 
and  Ralph  of  the  other  team.  Twenty-five  light 
loads  had  been  made  for  the  advance  warriors, 
so  that  in  case  of  scouting  work,  one  could  take 
the  loads  of  two,  and  thus  leave  at  least  a  dozen 
free  for  that  duty  when  required. 

A  quantity  of  lumber  had  been  cut  over  six 
months  before,  and  this  was  well  dried,  and  would 
be  very  valuable  to  them  in  beginning  operations, 
and  the  loads  on  the  wagons  were  so  great  that 
but  little  of  it  could  be  taken  in  that  way.  Uraso 


54  THE   CONQUEST 

saw  the  utility  of  the  material  and  insisted  that 
it  should  all  be  taken. 

Besides  the  packages  thus  arranged  the  most  ex 
pert  of  the  warriors  carried  the  thirty-two  guns, 
and  they  had  been  instructed  in  their  use.  Each 
also  carried  a  bow  and  set  of  arrows,  and  some  of 
them  were  provided  with  spears. 

During  the  preceding  day  no  message  had  come 
from  Blakely,  but  he  knew  that  the  party  would 
leave  the  Cataract  on  this  day,  and  they  felt  no 
apprehension  on  his  account. 

One  of  the  runners  from  John  readied  the  Pro 
fessor  on  the  day  the  train  left  the  Cataract. 
While  the  latter  tried  to  prevent  the  knowledge 
of  his  occupation  of  the  Kurabus  village  from 
reaching  the  ears  of  the  warriors,  the  scouts  sent 
out  by  the  Professor  intercepted  and  tried  to  cap 
ture  the  messengers  which  were  sent  to  inform  the 
allies,  but  failed  in  their  efforts. 

When  John  and  his  party  left,  Blakely  had 
drawn  the  allies  to  a  point  within  eight  miles  of 
the  Cataract,  and  with  the  reinforcements,  headed 
by  Muro,  he  made  a  stand.  During  the  night,  after 
a  consultation  with  Muro,  the  latter,  with  fifty  of 
his  warriors,  made  a  wide  detour  to  the  north, 
and  swung  around  to  the  west,  thus  taking  a  posi 
tion  behind  the  allies,  and  this  was  effected  with 
out  their  knowledge,  as  they  believed. 

The  object  of  this  movement  was  to  protect  the 
Professor,  as  the  force  from  the  Cataract,  joined 
to  that  of  Blakely's,  would  be  ample  to  drive  them 
forward,  and  it  was  desirable  to  effect  a  capture 


SURRENDER  OF  THE  KURABUS  55 

of  the  allies,  and  thus  at  one  operation  place  them 
in  their  power. 

Unfortunately,  the  messengers  from  the  Kura- 
bus'  village  reached  the  allies  before  Muro  started 
on  his  trip.  The  effect  on  the  allies  was  startling, 
and  the  Kurabus  were  determined  to  protect  their 
homes.  The  latter  believed  that  the  object  was  to 
destroy  the  village  and  carry  off  the  women  and 
children,  and  it  was  but  natural  that  they  should 
go  to  their  assistance. 

As  a  result  the  allies  during  the  night  quietly 
stole  to  the  south,  which  was  in  the  direction  of  the 
Illyas'  territory,  intending  to  march  thence  west, 
and  thus  attack  the  Professor  from  the  south. 

Their  departure  was  not  discovered  until  morn 
ing  had  been  well  advanced,  and  Muro's  runner 
did  not  reach  Blakely  until  the  train  from  the 
Cataract  came  in  sight. 

This  was  most  discouraging  news,  as  it  meant 
danger  to  those  left  wita  the  Professor. 

"There  is  but  one  alternative  now,"  said  John. 
"We  must  make  a  forced  march  to  the  relief  of 
the  Professor.  Uraso  has  the  matter  of  control 
ling  the  force  well  in  hand,  and  Blakely,  you  and 
I  will  take  all  the  men  excepting  the  one  hun 
dred  in  charge  of  the  material,  and  go  forward 
rapidly." 

The  first  news  the  Professor  had  of  the  new  situ 
ation  was  gleaned  from  the  messenger  which 
Muro  had  dispatched  the  moment  the  escape  of 
the  allies  was  discovered. 

"Has  the  Professor  been  notified?"  asked  Blake- 


56  THE   CONQUEST 

"I  sent  two  messengers  early  this  morning,"  was 
Muro's  response. 

"That  was  a  wise  thing,"  remarked  John.  "You 
are  to  be  commended  for  the  step.  We  must 
make  a  forced  march  at  once,  and  you  must  lead 
the  advance  with  your  best  men." 

Muro  was  much  gratified  at  this  position  of 
trust,  and  called  up  the  warriors  selected  and 
spoke  a  few  words  to  them.  Without  waiting  to 
make  any  other  preparations  than  to  provide  a 
day's  provisions,  his  party  sallied  forth,  and 
headed  straight  for  the  southwest. 

The  following  day,  the  scouts  sent  out  by  the 
Professor  to  the  southeast,  discovered  the  allies 
rapidly  moving  toward  the  direction  of  the  Kura- 
bus'  village,  but  he  knew  that  he  had  not  a  suffi 
cient  force  to  meet  them,  and  he  also  deemed  it 
wise  to  permit  them  to  reach  their  village,  so 
that  they  might  be  able  to  learn  for  themselves 
that,  while  he  had  their  homes  in  his  power,  he 
had  not  despoiled  them. 

This  was  surprising  news  to  the  allies.  Such 
a  course  meant,  either  that  the  Professor  and  the 
tribes  with  him,  were  afraid  of  them,  or,  that 
Blakely's  message  to  them  was  in  reality  true. 

Muro's  column  reached  the  Professor  the  fol 
lowing  day,  and  before  evening  John  and  the  main 
body  came  up.  The  allies  were  still  at  the  Kura- 
bus'  village,  and  without  waiting  for  the  wagon 
and  the  remaining  part  of  the  force  to  come  up, 
all  started  on  the  march  for  the  south. 

The  scouts  reported  commotion  in  the  village, 
but  its  cause  could  not  be  determined.  Undoubt- 


SUERENDEE  OF  THE  KUEABUS  57 

edly  they  knew  of  the  presence  of  the  force  from 
the  north.  Camp  was  made  for  the  night,  and 
when  morning  came  it  was  evident  that  the  Kura- 
bus  had  been  deserted  by  their  allies,  the  Tuolos 
and  the  Illyas. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  advance  was.  begun, 
and  before  ten  o'clock  a  messenger  from  the  Kura- 
bus  was  taken,  and  he  was  brought  before  the 
Professor. 

"Why  have  you  been  fighting  us?"  asked  the 
Professor. 

"My  people  thought  you  were  trying  to  kill 
us." 

"Why  do  you  come  to  see  us  now?" 

"Because  my  chief  has  been  deserted  by  the  Ill 
yas  and  the  Tr.olos." 

"Does  he  wish  to  surrender?" 

"Yes ;  if  the  White  Chief  will  not  punish  him 
and  his  people." 

"Have  any  of  your  warriors  gone  with  the  two 
tribes?" 

"No." 

"You  may  tell  your  chief  that  we  do  not  want 
war,  but  peace  and  friendship,  and  that  we  will 
not  injure  him  or  his  people  and  that  if  we  desired 
bloodshed  we  would  have  killed  the  warriors  we 
took  three  days  ago,  and  also  would  have  de 
stroyed  your  villages  and  taken  your  women  and 
children  captive." 

The  messenger  was  conducted  to  the  front,  and 
within  two  hours  he  returned  with  the  message 
that  the  terms  were  accepted. 

"Then  tell  your  chief  that  all  his  weapons  must 


58  THE   CONQUEST 

be  brought  to  this  place  within  two  hours,  and  he 
must  come  here  with  them,  and  surrender  to  us 
in  person." 

Within  the  stipulated  time,  the  Kurabus,  with 
their  chief,  appeared  in  their  front,  and  Muro, 
with  his  warriors,  went  out  to  receive  them.  It 
must  be  understood  that  Muro's  tribe,  the  Sabo- 
ros,  lived  in  the  territory  adjoining  the  Kurabus 
to  the  southeast,  and  that  for  years  there  had 
been  bitter  enmity  between  the  two,  but  the  Pro 
fessor  did  "not  affect  to  know  this. 

"When  the  chief,  Tastoa,  entered  the  camp,  he 
glanced  around  at  the  warriors,  but  did  not  ex 
hibit  apparent  alarm.  He  marched  direct  to  the 
Professor,  with  arms  folded,  and  showed  a  digni 
fied  attitude,  notwithstanding  his  humiliation. 
His  mien  plainly  showed  that  he  surrendered  to 
the  White  Chief,  and  not  to  his  late  allies  or 
enemies. 

In  explanation  of  this,  it  should  be  said,  that  in 
a  previous  expedition  against  the  Professor  the 
Kurabus  and  the  Saboros  had  been  allied,  and 
on  the  way,  while  they  were  surrounding  the  party 
of  whites,  had  a  disagreement  which  resulted  in 
a  separation  and  enmity. 

"I  have  come  to  surrender  to  the  White  Chief. 
The  Tuolo  and  the  Illyas  would  not  agree  with 
me  that  you  meant  no  harm,  and  that  you  would 
do  as  you  said,  and  have  left  me." 

"Then  you  have  surrendered  only  because  your 
allies  left  you?" 

"No ;  but  because  we  believed  you  did  not  want 
revenge." 


SURRENDER   OF   THE   KURABUS     59 

"What  made  you  think  so?" 

"When  we  saw  that  yon  did  not  destroy  our 
villages,  and  did  not  take  our  women  and  chil 
dren,  when  you  could  have  done  so,  we  believed 
you.  We  believe  the  Great  White  Chief,  but  we 
do  not  believe  the  different  tribes." 

"Then  I  cannot  accept  your  surrender.  You 
may  take  all  your  weapons  and  return  to  your 
village,  and  if  you  choose  to  do  so,  join  your  late 
allies.  We  will  not  make  a  movement  against 
you  until  you  have  done  so.  You  must  believe 
Suros  and  Uraso,  and  Oma  and  Muro,  as  well  as 
myself." 

He  cast  a  curious  glance  about  him,  as  the 
Professor  spoke.  This  was  a  new  species  of  war 
fare.  What!  allow  him  to  return  and  continue 
the  war,  after  he  was  in  their  power?  The  sav 
age  mind  could  not  comprehend  its  meaning. 

"Why  does  the  White  Chief  offer  me  such 
terms?  I  am  in  his  power." 

"Because  the  white  man  does  not  believe  in 
taking  advantage  of  an  enemy  who  has  entrusted 
himself  in  his  hands.  As  long  as  he  is  here  he 
will  not  permit  it,  and  the  chiefs  who  are  with 
me  will  not  ask  me  to  do  it." 

"I  do  not  understand  this.    Does  Suros  say  so?" 

"The  White  Chief  says  the  truth.  He  brings 
us  a  message  from  the  Great  Spirit.  That  mes 
sage  is  different  from  the  ones  we  learned.  He 
has  told  me  why  our  message  is  wrong,  and  my 
people  will  never  again  attack  another  people." 

This  declaration  bewildered  Tastoa.  He  had 
heard  the  words  of  the  wise  Suros.  But  Oma 


60  THE   CONQUEST 

arose  and  said:  "I  have  been  your  enemy  and 
you  have  been  ours.  The  White  Chief  has  been 
good  to  us,  and  I  could  not  understand  why.  He 
has  told  us  new  things,  and  how  we  may  live  in 
happiness,  and  we  believe  him.  When  we  took 
your  warriors  and  captured  your  villages  three 
days  ago,  he  ordered  that  no  one  should  be  hurt, 
and  he  has  given  the  warriors  the  best  of  food, 
and  treated  them  as  he  treated  his  own  warriors. 
We  will  follow  his  ways." 

Muro's  eyes  glistened  as  he  arose  to  speak.  "I 
and  my  people  love  the  Great  White  Chief.  I 
have  come  from  their  village,  and  all  they  have 
in  the  village  is  now  coming  to  all  of  our  people, 
and  we  are  to  learn  the  new  way  of  living.  From 
the  time  the  White  Chief  rescued  me  from  you, 
he  has  said  to  us,  'Do  not  kill ;  do  not  kill ;  but  you 
have  a  right  to  defend  yourselves.'  They  have 
made  the  weapons  which  talk  with  fire,  and  there 
are  so  many  of  them  that  they  could  quickly  kill 
all  of  your  people,  if  he  would  permit  it.  Now 
we  are  going  to  live  like  the  White  Chief  tells 
us." 

"Then,  if  the  White  Chief  tells  me  I  must  be 
lieve  the  Chiefs  I  will  do  so." 

"There  is  another  thing  which  you  must  do. 
The  Illyas  have  some  of  the  white  people  in  cap 
tivity.  You  must  send  a  messenger  and  say  that 
if  they  injure  the  captives  I  will  visit  them  and 
destroy  them  and  their  villages,  and  that  they 
must  at  once  return  to  us,  and  if  they  do  not,  we 
will  go  there  and  take  them  by  force." 

"It  shall  be  done." 


SURRENDER  OF  THE  KURABUS  61 

"Muro,  you  may  restore  the  weapons  to  the 
Kurabus." 

While  the  foregoing  proceedings  caused  the  ut 
most  wonder  in  all  of  its  phases,  the  restoration 
of  the  arms  was  one  which  so  completely  aston 
ished  them  that  the  Chief  could  hardly  speak. 
He  finally  approached  the  Professor,  and  grasp 
ing  him  by  the  hand,  said : 

"I  have  never  heard  of  such  things  before." 

"You  must  have  your  weapons,  because  your 
people  must  have  food.  Go  to  your  villages  now, 
and  take  with  you  the  warriors  we  took  three  days 
ago.  We  have  given  them  back  their  weapons, 
as  you  see." 

Ralsea,  Oma  and  Suros  then  pressed  forward, 
and  held  out  the  hands  of  friendship  to  him.  He 
then  turned  to  the  Professor  and  said:  "I  do 
not  see  Uraso." 

"No ;  he  is  with  the  people  who  are  coming  from 
our  village,  but  he  will  be  the  first  one  to  go  to 
you  and  tell  you  what  the  others  have  said." 

The  first  act  of  Tastoa  was  to  select  the  fleetest 
runner,  to  attempt  overtaking  the  Illyas,  in  or 
der  to  deliver  the  message  which  the  Professor 
had  instructed  him  to  communicate. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  NEW  TOWN  SITE.      THE  WATER  WHEEL  AND  THE 
SAWMILL 

THE  Professor  and  his  party  immediately  left 
for  the  Brabos'  village,  and  before  noon  of  the 
next  day,  Uraso,  with  the  wagons  and  package 
train,  came  in  sight.  The  warriors,  together  with 
the  chiefs,  and  the  two  boys,  Jim  and  Will,  rushed 
to  meet  them,  leaving  the  Professor  and  Chief 
Suros  almost  deserted.  They  smiled  at  the  eager 
ness  of  all.  They  were  just  like  boys. 

When  the  procession  from  the  village  came  up 
they  surrounded  the  wagon  and  Uraso's  warriors, 
and  took  the  packages  from  the  carriers,  bearing 
them  in  triumph  to  the  village,  and  passed  before 
the  Professor  and  Suros.  The  boys  began  the 
dancing,  and  the  warriors  took  up  the  suggestion, 
and  improved  on  it.  The  hilarity  knew  no 
bounds. 

Uraso  was  the  first  to  tell  the  warriors  who  were 
with  him  of  the  surrender  of  the  Kurabus.  This 
acted  like  a  stimulant  to  the  assembly. 

Later  in  the  day,  when  peace  and  order  had 
been  restored,  the  Professor  addressed  them  as 
follows:  "Suros  and  I  have  enjoyed  the  dance 
and  the  joys  you  have  had  as  much  as  you  who 
have  taken  part  in  it.  We  are  both  so  happy  to 
know  that  you  have  become  brothers.  When  we 
leave  this  village  the  Brabos  will  know  that  they 

62 


THE   NEW   TOWN   SITE  63 

are  safe  from  all  harm,  and  that  their  enemy  is 
our  enemy,  and  that  if  anyone  in  either  of  the 
tribes  is  injured  it  is  the  duty  of  all  the  tribes 
to  come  to  his  aid. 

"You  must  also  know  that  everyone  has  a  right 
to  his  own  property.  If  I  should  take  anything 
from  one  of  you  I  ought  to  be  punished.  Every 
one  should  be  made  to  know  this.  If  a  Saboro 
takes  anything  from  an  Osaga  without  his  con 
sent,  the  Saboros  should  be  the  first  to  punish 
him,  and  if  they  do  not  then  the  other  tribes 
should  punish  him. 

"We  are  bringing  all  the  tools  from  our  village, 
so  that  we  can  teach  you  how  to  make  many  won 
derful  things.  We  must  find  a  suitable  place  to 
put  up  the  machinery.  Each  tribe  will  send  some 
of  their  people  there  to  learn,  and  then  the  same 
things  will  be  put  up  in  your  own  lands.  To 
morrow  we  will  go  south  to  establish  this  place." 

There  was  one  thing  which  was  a  source  of 
grief  to  the  boys,  and  that  was  the  herd  of  yaks, 
which  had  been  left  behind.  John  spoke  to  Uraso 
about  it,  and  Sutoto,  who  always  considered  the 
boys  first,  suggested  that  he  and  Muro  would  take 
two  dozen  of  the  warriors  and  bring  the  herd 
back. 

The  boys  would  have  enjoyed  this  outing  with 
him,  but  the  necessity  of  utilizing  their  services 
in  the  erection  of  the  workshop  and  installing 
the  machinery,  was  too  urgent  to  permit  it.  The 
boys  made  it  a  condition,  however,  that  Sutoto 
should  be  with  them  in  the  active  work,  as  soon1 
as  he  returned. 


64  THE   CONQUEST 

The  Brabos  regretted  the  leave-taking,  but 
were  delighted  to  learn  from  the  Professor  that 
he  expected  them  to  contribute  a  number  of  their 
men  to  accompany  the  expedition. 

They  passed  through  the  Kurabus'  village  the 
next  day,  and  the  Professor  called  the  Chief  to 
him.  "We  want  some  of  your  men  to  accompany 
us,  because  we  want  to  teach  them  the  same  as 
the  other  tribes." 

This  announcement  was  a  most  gratifying  one, 
and  he  answered:  "The  White  Chief  has  made 
us  give  him  our  hearts.  My  brother  and  my  son 
will  go  with  you." 

Could  anything  have  been  more  expressive  of 
the  intention  of  the  Kurabus  Chief  I  The  lad  was 
about  the  same  age  as  the  boys,  and  they  led 
him  out  to  the  wagon,  and  showed  him  the  won 
derful  things,  and  then  began  the  efforts  to  find 
words  to  express  their  meaning,  and  enable  them 
to  understand  each  other. 

It  was  an  amusing  thing  to  see  the  struggles 
of  Blakely,  who  was  whipping  the  warriors  into 
a  fighting  force.  Whenever  Blakely  was  around 
the  warriors  wx>uld  give  him  the  military  salute, 
as  though  they  had  been  trained  up  to  it  all  their 
lives. 

"I  have  often  wondered  where  the  military  salute 
of  raising  the  hand  up  to  the  eyebrows  comes 
from,"  said  Ealph. 

"Its  origin  dates  from  the  commencement  of 
the  English  army.  During  the  tournaments  of 
the  Middle  Ages,  after  the  'Queen  of  Beauty'  was 
enthroned,  the  knights,  who  were  to  take  part 


THE   NEW   TOWN   SITE 


65 


in  the  sports  of  the  day,  marched  past  the  dais 
upon  which  she  sat,  and,  as  they  passed,  shielded 
their  eyes  from  the  rays  of  her  beauty.  Thus 
the  habit  continued,  only  in  a  modified  form,  to 
this  day." 

Uraso  had  charge  of  the  advance,  and  when 
they  halted  that  day  it  was  under  the  spreading 


g.$.  The,  Banan  Tree. 


shade  of  a  tree  that  was  a  marvel  to  the  boys, 
although  Blakely  said  there  were  plenty  of  them 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  island. 

This  was  a  tree,  with  a  large  central  trunk,  the 
branches  of  which  spread  out  in  all  directions,  to 
distances  which  were  fully  fifty  feet  on  each  side, 
and  at  irregular  intervals  were  straight  stems 
which  shot  down  straight  to  the  earth,  the  lower 


66  THE   CONQUEST 

ends  of  which  took  root  and  thus  served  as  sup 
ports  for  the  long  branches. 

The  boys  went  around,  examining  it  from  all 
sides.  "What  is  it  ?"  asked  the  boys. 

"It  is  the  banyan  tree,"  answered  John.  "This 
is  not  the  only  kind  which  exhibits  this  peculiar 
ity.  What  is  called  the  screw  pine  also  sends 
down  shoots  in  the  same  way." 

"Well,  does  each  of  these  vertical  stems  be 
come  a  tree  of  itself?" 

"In  the  case  of  the  mangrove  these  aerials,  as 
they  are  called,  carry  up  the  sap,  and  form  leaves 
at  their  upper  ends,  long  after  the  main  trunk 
dies." 

"Do  you  mean  that  these  drooping  branches 
carry  up  the  sap  in  the  opposite  direction,  after 
they  take  root?" 

"Yes;  but  that  is  not  so  remarkable,  when  it 
is  understood  that  the  buds  of  all  trees  are,  in 
a  measure,  roots,  and  perform  the  same  func 
tions  as  roots.  The  plum  tree,  and  many  others, 
will  form  roots  out  of  the  buds,  if  the  latter  are 
buried  in  the  earth." 

"I  have  heard  about  the  orchids,  as  I  believe 
they  are  called.  Do  they  act  in  the  same  way?" 

"Not  altogether;  there  are  certain  plants  which 
live  on  other  plants  and  get  sustenance  from  them, 
just  as  some  insects  attach  themselves  to  animals 
and  live  on  them." 

"There  is  one  thing  I  could  never  understand," 
remarked  Tom,  "and  that  is,  why  the  sap  of  the 
trees  goes  upwardly." 

"I  shall  try  and  answer  that  question  by  ask- 


THE   NEW   TOWN   SITE  67 

ing  another.  If  you  put  the  end  of  a  piece  of 
blotting  paper  in  water,  what  causes  the  water  to 
travel  along  to  the  other  end?" 

"That  is  just  as  much  a  mystery,"  he  replied. 

"But  as  you  know  that  to  be  so,  because  you 
can  see  the  process,  it  will  enable  me  to  explain 
the  principle  of  the  movement  of  the  sap.  A 
wick  in  a  lamp  becomes  saturated  and  the  oil 
travels  upwardly  as  long  as  the  upper  end  is 
burning;  but  as  soon  as  the  light  is  put  out  the 
oil  ceases  to  creep  toward  the  burned  end." 

"But  in  the  case  of  a  tree  there  is  nothing  to 
do  that  same  thing." 

"That  is  what  the  sun  does.  It  shines  on  the 
leaf,  and  absorbs  the  sap,  or  portions  of  it,  and 
the  sap  tries  to  move  upwardly  to  again  moisten 
the  dried  pores  of  the  wood." 

"I  always  thought  the  sap  moved  upwardly,  be 
cause  the  tree  was  alive." 

"The  blotting  paper  and  the  wick  are  not  alive, 
are  they?  Still,  you  see  the  same  process  going 
on.  This  is  due  to  what  is  termed  capillary  at 
traction.  Suppose  you  take  two  tubes,  one  larger 
than  the  other,  each  open  at  both  ends,  and  stand 
them  in  water.  The  water  will  rise  in  the  tubes 
above  the  surface  of  the  water  outside,  and  the 
height  it  rises  depends  on  the  inside  diameters  of 
the  tubes.  The  smaller  the  bore  the  higher  will 
the  water  go  up.  So  with  the  pores  in  the  wood. 
They  are  very,  small,  and  thus  the  water  moves 
to  the  greatest  heights." 

It  was  now  a  question  of  the  greatest  impor 
tance  to  set  up  their  home  at  the  most  desirable 


68 


THE   CONQUEST 


point.  The  Chiefs,  together  with  John  and 
Blakely,  had  numerous  conferences  with  the  Pro 
fessor,  on  this  subject.  Many  things  had  to  be 
taken  into  consideration. 

First:  It  should  be  located  at  a  point  con 
venient  to  all  the  tribes. 

Second :    It  should  be  on  or  near  the  seacoast. 


*  6*  <&hoasin$  Capillary 


Third:  Everything  else  being  equal,  the  most 
desirable  place  would  be  in  a  section  which  had 
the  richest  soil. 

These  considerations  were  suggested  to  the 
Chiefs,  and  all  agreed  that  the  river  separating 
the  land  of  the  Osagas  and  the  Berees  would  be 
most  suitable. 

"I  know  a  place,"  said  Uraso,  "where  there  is 
a  running  water  like  you  have  at  the  Cataract, 
and  it  is  a  little  river  that  flows  into  the  big 
river." 


THE   NEW   TOWN    SITE  69 

"Does  the  water  go  down  steep  as  we  had  it?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Uraso. 

"Let  us  go  there  at  once,"  responded  the  Pro 
fessor. 

Within  two  days  the  spot  was  reached,  and  at 
the  sight  of  it  all  were  pleased  beyond  measure. 

"It  is  an  ideal  spot,"  exclaimed  John.  "The 
falls  would  be  much  better  for  our  purpose  than 
the  Cataract,  and  it  is  close  to  the  river.  As  the 
latter  has  ample  depth  for  good-sized  boats,  and 
the  sea  is  not  more  than  three  miles  away,  I 
judge,  we  are  near  enough  to  carry  out  the  pur 
pose  of  building  the  large  vessel." 

No  conferences  were  required  to  make  the  deci 
sion.  "Your  judgment  is  to  be  commended,"  said 
the  Professor  to  Uraso.  "I  do  not  think  there  is 
a  better  spot  on  the  island." 

"It  suits  me,"  said  Blakely.  "See  the  forest  to 
the  northwest?  That  is  where  I  used  to  live.  I 
know  the  boys  will  enjoy  exploring  it,  and  if  they 
want  excitement  at  any  time,  it  is  near  enough 
to  give  them  plenty  of  exercise." 

The  boys'  eyes  glistened  with  excitement  at  the 
news.  "Won't  we  have  fun  over  there,  when  we 
are  fixed  up!"  said  Will. 

The  Professor,  addressing  the  Chiefs,  said: 
"We  do  not  need  all  the  men  we  have  here,  as 
they  will  no  doubt  be  needed  for  a  time  at  their 
homes,  in  order  to  take  care  of  the  women  and 
children.  For  the  present  I  suggest  that  one-half 
of  them  be  sent  home,  and  the  others  remain  here, 
and  get  the  work  started.  This  will  take  sev 
eral  moons,  and  we  must  then  meet,  unless  we 


70  THE    CONQUEST 

hear  from  the  Illyas  sooner,  and  march  against 
them." 

The  chiefs  selected  the  ones  which  were  to  re 
main,  and  those  instructed  to  return  home  were 
advised  that  later  on  they  would  be  brought  to 
the  new  village,  to  take  their  part  in  the  work,  and 
thus  give  an  opportunity  to  all. 

The  greatest  enthusiasm  prevailed,  and  each 
tribe  tried  to  outdo  the  other  in  generous  acts. 
The  example  set  by  the  Professor  was,  indeed,  a 
lesson  to  these  poor,  ignorant  creatures. 

"Professor,  what  shall  we  do  when  the  herd 
arrives  f  I  think  we  had  better  fence  in  a  field  for 
them  until  they  get  used  to  the  people  and  learn 
to  remain  in  this  part  of  the  country." 

"I  am  glad  that  you  suggested  that,  Ealph. 
You  may  build  a  fence  to  hold  them,  and  I  sug 
gest  that  you  use  the  space  in  the  forks  of  the 
river." 

"How  many  men  shall  I  take  for  the  purpose?" 

"As  Sutoto  will  likely  be  here  to-morrow,  or 
on  the  following  day,  you  should  take  enough  to 
do  it  quickly.  Use  at  least  fifty  of  them.  Stut 
would  be  the  one  to  call  in  for  help." 

"What  kind  of  a  fence  shall  we  build?" 

"I  will  make  a  sketch  of  the  best  form  for  the 
present.  Have  some  of  the  men  cut  posts  that 
have  several  forks  like  the  sketch  shows.  Cut 
these  off  at  lengths  so  that  one  fork  will  be  about 
two  feet  up  out  of  the  ground,  and  the  other  five 
feet  or  a  little  more  above.  Set  others  to  work 
cutting  the  long  poles,  which  you  will  find  along 
the  river  bank." 


THE   NEW   TOWN   SITE 


71 


"How  long  should  we  make  the  poles?" 
"Get  them  as  long  as  you  can ;  but  make  them, 
say,  nine,  eighteen  or  twenty-seven  feet  long. 
Then,  at  the  same  time,  others  can  be  digging  the 
post  holes,  and  make  those  eight  feet  apart  and 
two  feet  deep.  When  the  posts  are  set,  the  men 
with  the  poles  can  go  along  and  lay  them  in  place, 
just  as  I  show." 

The  warriors  took  the  bolos  and  sallied  down 
to  the  stream.    Kalph  had  made  a  mental  calcu- 


7.  Sample  of  Inland 


lation  that  at  least  one  hundred  posts  would  be 
required;  the  line  of  the  fence  was  laid  out  and 
the  holes  marked.  Muro  took  charge  of  the  dig 
ging  of  the  holes,  and  the  men  showed  a  wonder 
ful  aptitude  for  the  work.  During  the  afternoon 
the  Professor  wandered  down  to  the  line,  and 
went  among  them,  speaking  words  of  cheer  and 
commendation  to  all,  so  that  he  impressed  his 
wonderful  personality  on  every  man. 

Meanwhile  Harry,  with  the  other  boys,  was  at 
work  preparing  a  new  water  wheel.  In  this  he 
had  the  aid  of  Uraso,  as  the  director  general  of 
the  men.  Many  hands  make  light  work.  In  a 

86 


72  THE   CONQUEST 

single  day  the  wheel  was  ready  for  mounting. 
The  dried  lumber  which  had  been  brought  over 
was  a  great  advantage  in  making  it,  and  in  prepar 
ing  the  bridge  below  the  falls  on  which  the  wheel 
was  mounted. 

This  was  completed  on  the  evening  of  the  sec 
ond  day,  just  as  Sutoto  came  into  view  with  the 
cattle.  It  was  an  amusing  sight  to  see  how  they 
had  brought  over  the  herd. 

Apollo  was  the  name  of  the  bull  which  had  the 
terrific  fight  with  the  old  bull.  The  first  thing 
Sutoto  did  was  to  catch  Apollo,  and  firmly  secure 
him  with  hobbles.  He  was  led  in  front,  and  the 
others  driven  along  after  him,  the  rest  following 
meekly. 

When  Apollo  was  finally  loosened,  and  allowed 
the  freedom  of  the  corral,  he  gave  a  roar,  pawed 
tip  the  ground  and  shook  his  head  at  the  indig 
nant  treatment. 

Their  appearance  meant  milk  and  butter. 
There  were  thirty-five  in  the  herd,  of  which  ten 
were  young  animals,  from  four  to  six  months  of 
age,  and  six  calves,  the  latter  of  which  retarded 
the  movement  of  the  drove  on  the  route. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  wheel  was  put  up,  and 
it  began  to  turn,  to  the  delight  of  the  men. 

"It  would  be  better,  Harry,  to  set  up  the  saw 
mill  at  once,  as  I  have  directed  a  number  of  men 
to  go  to  the  forest  with  John,  to  cut  the  logs,  and 
they  will  take  the  two  teams  along,  so  that  by  the 
time  you  are  ready,  the  material  will  be  here  for 
you." 

"What  shall  I  cut  first?" 


THE   NEW   TOWN   SITE  73 

"Get  out  the  scantlings  for  the  house  and  shop, 
as  the  latter  will  be  the  first  to  receive  our  atten 
tion.  We  must  have  some  place  to  put  the  things 
we  have  in  the  wagons." 

It  is  remarkable  how  quickly  a  set  of  men,  work 
ing  under  intelligent  directions,  can  carry  out  a 
purpose.  The  logs  began  coming  in  shortly  after 
noon,  and  in  the  morning'  the  saw  was  at  work, 
and  it  did  not  cease  its  operations  for  many  a  day. 

The  natives  were  so  fascinated  with  it  that  they 
considered  it  a  grief  to  leave  it.  But  the  Pro 
fessor  had  other  purposes  in  view.  George  and 
Tom  were  selected  to  make  several  looms,  simi 
lar  to  the  one  brought  from  the  Cataract.  In 
this  work,  as  in  everything  else,  some  particular 
ones  were  selected  and  instructed  to  do  the  work. 

Kamie  fiber  was  found  in  abundance,  along  the 
streams,  and  after  a  set  of  men  had  been  in 
structed  how  to  cut  and  gather  it,  they  were  kept  at 
that  work,  while  others  were  directed  how  to  wet 
it  down  and  rot  the  woody  fiber  and  taught  the 
manner  in  which  the  fiber  was  freed  of  the  stalks. 


CHAPTER  VI 

BUILDING  UP  THE  NEW  TOWN 

WITHIN  a  week  most  disquieting  rumors  reached 
the  new  village  as  to  the  attitude  of  the  Illyas 
and  Tuolos.  The  former  sent  an  insulting  mes 
sage  that  if  the  White  Chief  wanted  the  captives 
he  should  come  for  them. 

The  Tuolos  had  returned  to  their  country,  but 
John  was  determined  that  they  must  have  a  visit. 
Thus  far  no  bands  from  the  warring  tribes  had 
molested  either  the  Saboros,  who  were  nearest 
on  one  side,  or  the  Brabos  on  the  other  side. 

Their  silence  after  a  peace  message  was  sent 
them  could  only  be  interpreted  to  mean  one  thing, 
on  the  part  of  the  Tuolos. 

"The  Illyas  will  not  dare  to  injure  the  captives 
they  have  with  such  a  warning  as  we  gave  them, 
and  if  they  intended  to  destroy  them  it  is  possible 
that  has  been  done  already.  Under  the  circum 
stances  a  little  patience  on  our  part  may  show 
them  that  we  mean  business." 

Muro,  who  understood  the  Illyas'  character  bet 
ter  than  the  others,  was  of  the  opinion  that  the 
Professor's  views  were  most  likely  to  accomplish 
the  purpose  without  bloodshed.  On  the  other 
hand,  he  was  of  an  entirely  different  opinion  with 
respect  to  the  Tuolos. 

A  few  weeks  of  active  work,  first,  in  completing 
ail  preparations  for  defense,  and  second,  in  organ- 

74 


BUILDING   UP   THE   NEW   TOWN     75 

izing  the  tribes  into  a  working  unity,  would  be  of 
the  greatest  importance  to  the  community. 

The  shop  and  the  laboratory  were  completed, 
and  most  of  the  things  in  the  wagons  were  now  in 
place.  The  important  thing  was  the  disposition 
of  the  treasure.  For  the  safe  keeping  of  this  a 
large  pit  was  dug  beneath  one  end  of  the  shop, 
and  an  underground  vault  constructed,  the  brick 
for  this  purpose  being  made  from  a  natural  sili 
cate  found  in  the  hills  near  by,  and  which  hard 
ened  without  burning.  The  interior  was  also 
plastered  with  the  same  material,  and  a  strong 
door,  small,  but  thick,  was  constructed  to  close 
the  opening. 

During  the  night  John,  the  Professor  and 
Blakely,  with  the  boys,  carefully  stored  the  treas 
ure  there,  so  that  the  different  tribes  had  no  idea 
of  the  use  to  which  the  vault  had  been  put. 

Two  of  the  simple  looms  had  been  made,  so 
that  there  were  now  three  ready  to  turn  out  goods, 
and  the  fiber  was  in  such  shape  that  it  could  soon 
be  utilized.  In  the  meantime  the  boys  concluded 
that  as  the  weaving  process  was  the  slowest  oper 
ation  it  would  be  well  to  construct  several  addi 
tional  looms,  and  two  of  them  capable  of  making 
goods  four  feet  wide. 

One  ol  the  first  acts  of  the  Professor  was  to 
Bcour  the  hills  to  the  north  for  minerals.  He  was 
in  search  of  copper,  and  taking  a  half  dozen  of 
the  natives  with  him,  and  one  of  the  teams,  a 
load  of  copper  ore  was  brought  in. 

The  furnaces  and  smelters  had  been  set  up  by 
the  boys,  previous  to  this,  and  within  ten  days 


76  THE   CONQUEST 

a  hundred  pounds  of  copper  were  run  into  clay 
receptacles,  to  be  used  for  the  various  purposes. 

"What  do  you  suppose  the  Professor  wants 
with  so  much  copper?"  asked  Kalph. 

"You  can  make  up  your  mind  he  has  some 
scheme  or  other,"  answered  George. 

The  Professor  really  did  have  a  scheme,  for 
the  first  thing  he  consulted  Harry  about  was  a 
plan  to  make  some  small  molds  in  two  parts,  out 


JT&9. 

THE  ONE-CENT  COIN 

of  brass,  from  a  plaster  paris  disk  which  he  had 
carved  out. 

"What  is  that  for?"  asked  Harry,  laughing. 

"That  is  to  make  one  of  the  first  coins  from 
our  mint,"  he  answered,  smiling. 

A  sample  of  the  coin  is  shown. 

"What  is  the  hole  in  the  middle  for?" 

"So  they  can  be  strung  on  a  cord,  and  thus  pro 
vide  a  means  for  keeping  them." 

"That  is  the  first  time  I  ever  heard  of  that 
plan." 

"It  is  not  anything  new.  The  Chinese  adopted 
the  plan  years  ago,  and  Belgium  is  a  country 
which  has  followed  the  idea.  It  has  been  found 


BUILDING   UP   THE   NEW   TOWN     77 

very  convenient  for  shoppers,  as  they  can  string 
them  on  vertical  pieces  of  wire,  and  in  that  way 
they  are  always  kept  in  columns  before  them,  and 
can  be  readily  taken  off  in  making  change." 

In  making  the  molds,  the  molten  brass  was  first 
poured  around  the  paris  plaster  disk,  so  that  the 
metal  was  level  with  the  top  of  the  disk,  and, 
after  it  was  thoroughly  cooled,  an  additional 
amount  of  metal  was  poured  over  this,  so  that 
the  two  parts  would  separate.  The  disk  was  then 
taken  out,  and  two  holes  made  on  opposite  sides 


THE  FIVE-CENT  COIN 

through  the  top.  The  copper  was  then  poured  in 
one  hole  until  it  appeared  at  the  other  hole.  In 
this  way  the  print  formed  by  the  disk  was  cast 
in  the  coin. 

Harry  made  a  half  dozen  of  these  molds,  and 
the  mint  was  ready  for  operation.  Tom  and  one 
of  the  natives  set  to  work  making  the  coins,  and 
the  first  day  cast  two  hundred  of  them.  Within 
a  week  they  became  quite  expert  at  the  business, 
and  when  they  took  stock  at  the  end  of  the  week 
over  twenty-five  hundred  of  the  coins  were  in 
the  treasury. 


78  ,THE   CONQUEST 

A  large-sized  coin  was  turned  out,  which  is  also 
shown,  the  smaller  being  for  one  cent,  and  the 
larger  five  cents.  The  stock  of  coins  within  ten 
days  amounted  to  fifty  dollars  in  value,  but  it  was 
a  good  beginning. 

During  the  evening  the  coins  were  shown 
around  and  admired,  and  John  said:  "We  have 
plenty  of  silver,  when  the  time  comes,  which  can 
be  worked  up  in  the  same  way." 

This  idea  had  not  occurred  to  the  boys.  "But 
how,"  asked  Will,  "shall  we  use  these?  The  na 
tives  won't  give  anything  for  them?" 

"That  is  what  we  are  trying  to  teach  them. 
They  are  of  no  value  except  as  a  medium  of  ex 
change.  Money  is  of  no  value,  except  as  it  enables 
us  to  buy  something  with  it.  When  you  have  a 
five-cent  piece  and  a  taro  root  before  you,  and 
are  hungry,  which  will  you  take?" 

"The  taro  root,  of  course." 

"So  it  isn't  the  coin  itself,  but  only  its  value 
in  what  you  want.  It  is  want  that  gives  money 
any  value." 

"But  I  still  don't  see  how  we  are  going  to  make 
the  natives  want  the  coins." 

"We  do  not  intend  to  make  them  want  them. 
But  we  may  soon  have  some  things  they  will 
need.  Now  it  is  immaterial  whether  they  give 
money  for  it,  or  if  they  furnish  us  something  we 
wish  in  exchange." 

"Then  of  what  use  is  it  to  have  the  coins?" 

"Simply  because  we  must  have  something  to 
measure  by.  If  you  buy  a  yard  of  cloth  you  must 
have  a  yardstick.  If  you  want  a  certain  quan- 


BUILDING   UP   THE   NEW   TOWN     79 

tiiy  of -grain  you  must  have  a  quart  or  a  bushel 
measure.  Now  that  yard  or  bushel,  each,  is  worth 
so  much,  and  they  are  measured  by  a  coin  or 
coins,  of  which  both  know  the  value." 

"I  understand  now.  You  are  simply  trading  a 
certain  marked  coin  for  a  bushel  of  grain,  instead 
of  giving  something  else  for  it." 

"Exactly;  money  in  itself  has  no  value.  You 
cannot  eat  it,  or  make  it  serve  as  an  article  of 
clothing,  or  drink  it.  You  can  only  measure  the 
needed  things  with  it." 

The  practical  operation  of  the  use  of  coins  as 
money  had  its  first  trial  on  the  following  day, 
when  the  Professor  had  two  hundred  cords  pre 
pared,  on  which  were  strung  five  one-cent  coins  and 
a  five-cent  coin. 

The  warriors  were  told  to  file  along  the  wagon, 

and  George  handed  out  one  of  the  coin  sets  to 

:  each  as  he  passed.     They  looked  at  the  bright 

disks  curiously,  at  first,  and  were  informed  that 

I  they  were  being  rewarded  for  the  work  they  had 

done.     This  was  a  singular  way  of  requiting  them 

•  for  their  services.     They  had  obtained  food  in 

plenty,  and  therefore  this  way  their  pay ;  but  now, 

in  addition,  they  were  being  rewarded. 

Ilraso  explained  the  new  proceeding.  They 
had  conspicuously  displayed  the  ramie  cloth,  made 
in  different  colors,  which  had  been  woven  during 
the  past  two  weeks.  Not  a  word  was  said  about 
that.  The  goods  displayed  seemed  to  be  of  more 
value  than  the  coins.  It  was  something  they 
could  wear,  and  they  envied  the  manner  in  which 
the  white  people  clothed  themselves. 


80  THE   CONQUEST 

John  went  up  to  Jim,  who  had  the  fiber  cloth 
in  charge,  and  asked  him  for  a  piece,  indicating 
the  length  of  the  yardstick,  which  he  held,  and 
when  he  was  told  that  it  was  worth  one  of  the 
small  coins,  John  made  a  great  show  of  taking 
one  of  the  coins  from  the  cord  and  paying  for 
the  goods  which  Jim  cut  off. 

Tom  did  likewise,  and  this  was  very  soon  re 
peated,  some  taking  two  yards  or  more.  The 
natives  regarded  this  as  a  new  species  of  barter, 
and  it  did  not  take  them  long  to  see  the  peculiar 
features  of  the  transaction.  Before  night  fully 
half  of  the  coins  were  again  back  in  the  hands  of 
the  treasurer. 

The  next  day  the  boys,  at  the  instigation  of  the 
Professor,  began  a  species  of  trade  with  the  na 
tives,  purchasing  some  trinket  or  other  article,  for 
which  coins  were  offered  in  exchange.  This 
spirit  began  to  take  possession  of  the  natives. 
Eegularly  each  week  the  pay  for  work  performed 
was  given,  and  as  the  weaving  of  cloth  went  on, 
the  sale  of  the  goods  began  to  increase. 

Soon  the  Professor  called  the  chiefs,  and  said: 
"We  ought  to  send  some  of  these  men  to  their* 
homes,  each  week,  and  bring  others  here,  so  that 
all  may  have  an  opportunity  to  work  and  to  learn, 
and  also  be  able  to  buy  the  goods  we  make." 

There  was  a  twofold  purpose  in  this :  The  war 
riors  would,  he  knew,  take  their  purchases  home, 
and  thus  give  their  families  the  benefits  of  the 
cloth,  and  it  would  incite  a  desire  for  them  to 
again  return  and  work  for  the  purpose  of  acquir 
ing  more  goods. 


BUILDING   UP   THE   NEW   TOWN     81 

This  was  the  first  object  lesson.  In  the  follow 
ing  week,  the  second  one  was  quietly  brought  to 
their  attention.  The  workers  had  been  fed  from 
the  common  table.  It  was  desirable  to  stimulate 
individual  effort. 

For  this  purpose  the  Professor,  John  and 
Blakely,  as  well  as  the  boys,  went  to  the  different 
workers,  and  made  bargains ;  some  offered  a  coin 
for  the  bringing  in  of  a  brace  of  fowl ;  others  for 
a  certain  amount  of  vegetables ;  and  some  for  par 
ticular  quantities  of  fruit  and  for  barley. 

The  sawmill  was  turning  out  a  certain  amount 
of  lumber,  and  the  main  house  was  erected,  and 
then  began  the  building  of  a  number  of  small 
two-  and  three-room  dwellings,  all  put  up  cheaply, 
but  in  a  substantial  manner. 

This  proceeding  was  looked  on  with  wonder  by 
the  warriors.  Before  long  the  women  and  chil 
dren  of  some  of  the  workers  appeared,  and  their 
coming  pleased  the  Professor  immensely. 

It  was  evident  that  the  two  warring  tribes  were 
in  communication  with  each  other,  and  as  the  af 
fairs  of  the  little  colony  were  moving  along  in  a 
very  satisfactory  way,  it  was  determined  to  bring 
them  to  terms.  This  was  brought  about  by  two  in 
cidents,  which  will  be  related. 

The  Brabo  territory  extended  the  farthest  north 
of  any  of  the  inhabited  lands,  and  adjoined  the 
portion  occupied  by  the  Tuolos. 

In  a  previous  book  the  history  of  John  was  re 
lated,  in  which  he  described  an  immense  cave,  near 
their  village,  occupied  by  the  medicine  men  of 
their  tribe,  and  where  he  took  refuge  when  pur- 


82  THE   CONQUEST 

sued.  There  he  discovered  a  large  amount  of 
treasure.  He  and  the  boys  had  long  wanted  to 
go  there. 

When  the  report  was  brought  to  the  new  vil 
lage  that  the  Tuolos  had  made  a  foray  into  the 
Brabo  territory,  and  killed  several  warriors,  car 
rying  some  of  the  women  into  captivity,  it  was 
a  warning  that  could  not  be  disregarded. 

Immediately,  on  the  heels  of  this  news,  was  the 
report  of  two  runners  from  the  Saboros  that  dep 
redations  had  been  committed  by  the  Illyas. 

The  Professor  called  John,  Blakely  and  the 
chiefs  Oma  of  the  Brabos  and  Muro  of  the  Sabo 
ros  into  consultation. 

"We  are  now  in  condition,"  he  said,  "where  we 
must  undertake  to  call  those  tribes  to  account. 
The  outrages  reported  are  probably  only  the  fore 
runners  of  others  which  may  be  much  more  seri 
ous,  and  I  want  your  views  on  the  course  to  fol 
low." 

"It  is  fortunate,"  answered  Blakely,  "that  the 
tribes  referred  to  are  separated  by  the  sections 
of  the  island  inhabited  by  our  allies.  This  gives 
us  an  opportunity  to  treat  with  each  separately. 
It  seems  to  me  that  we  should  attack  the  Illyas 
first,  as  they  are  the  most  powerful  of  the  two." 

"I  do  not  altogether  agree  with  you,"  responded 
John.  "My  view  is  that  we  should  proceed  against 
the  Tuolos,  as  they  have  committed  the  most  seri 
ous  offense,  in  killing  the  Brabos." 

"You  speak  wisely,"  said  Muro.  "The  Brabos 
are  not  as  well  protected  as  my  people." 

This  observation,  coming  from  Muro,  was  a  most 


BUILDING   UP   THE   NEW   TOWN     83 

pleasing  one  to  John  and  the  Professor,  and  Blake- 
ly  was  instructed  to  muster  a  force  of  two  hun 
dred.  Notices  were  sent  to  all  the  allied  tribes, 
and  within  a  week  they  arrived,  all  eager  to  en 
gage  in  the  expedition. 

"While  engaged  in  that  work  the  business  must 
not  cease  here,"  observed  the  Professor.  "It  will 
be  your  duty,  Blakely,  to  thoroughly  drill  the  men, 
and  instruct  them  in  the  uses  of  the  weapons. 
For  reasons  which  you  will  understand,  John  will 
accompany  the  expedition." 

During  all  this  time  there  was  not  a  day  but 
the  Professor,  as  well  as  George,  Ralph  and  Jim, 
whenever  opportunity  offered,  scouted  about  in 
various  directions,  and  brought  in  new  specimens 
of  woods,  flowers,  vegetables,  and  samples  of  ores. 

The  Professor's  eyes  were  gladdened  many 
times  at  the  odd  parcels  left  on  his  table,  that 
excited  the  curiosity  of  the  boys.  Jim  was  an  in 
defatigable  gatherer  of  vegetable  products,  and 
one  thing  which  attracted  him  immensely  was  the 
branch  of  a  tree  which  bore  a  number  of  star- 
leaved  clusters,  each  leaf  being  feather-veined, 
and  the  stems  carried  numerous  yellowish  purple- 
spotted  flowers,  and  also  nuts  about  the  size  of 
pigeon  eggs. 

"Down  near  the  large  river  the  banks  are  full 
of  these.  Can  we  make  any  use  of  them?"  asked 
Jim. 

"Why  that  is  a  variety  of  Chica,"  he  answered. 

"What  is  Chica,  anyhow?" 

"The  seeds  are  good  for  making  burning  oil. 
The  inner  bark  furnishes  a  fiber  which  resists  all 


84 


THE  CONQUEST 


moisture  ;  and  the  nuts  possess  a  substance  whicK 
is  well  known  all  over  the  world  as  mucilage.  It 
is  recognized  in  commerce  as  gum  tragacanth." 

"I  saw  different  kinds  there.  Are  they  all  use 
ful?" 

"Some  species  contain  nuts  which  are  very  fine, 
but  are  never  eaten  raw.  They  must  be  roasted." 


"When  Jim  and  I  were  down  there  this  morn 
ing  we  saw  at  least  a  dozen  different  kinds  of 
plants  growing  together  in  a  space  not  three  feet 
square.  We  both  wondered  why  each  kept  on 
growing  in  its  own  way,  from  the  same  kind  of 
soil.  Now,  don't  the  plants  get  all  they  are  made 
of  from  the  same  soil?  And  if  that  is  so,  why 
don't  they  grow  to  be  the  same  things?"  . 

"Of  course,  like  the  animal  kingdom,  the  germ 


BUILDING   UP   THE   NEW   TOWN     85 

of  each  is  different,  but  each  takes  the  identical 
substances  from  the  same  soil,  and  converts  them 
into  entirely  different  products.  One  will  make 
a  gum ;  the  other  produces  a  kind  of  milk ;  others 
will  turn  out  a  hard  substance,  like  the  outer  por 
tion  of  the  nut ;  some  will  make  a  vegetable  good 
to  eat ;  others  will  yield  a  poison,  and  yet  all  are 
from  the  same  soil." 

"That  is  what  I  mean.  Even  though  the  plants 
are  different,  why  is  it  that  one  will  extract  one 
thing  and  another  something  else?" 

"It  is  due  to  what  is  called  irritability  or  sen 
sitiveness  in  plants.  One  plant  is  sensitive  to  the 
flow  of  certain  juices,  and  is  irritated,  so  that  it  is 
set  into  activity  when  different  kinds  of  substances 
are  carried  along  the  pores  or  deposited  in  the 
cells.  As  a  result,  this  irritation  causes  the  plant 
to  take  only  certain  ones  and  reject  others,  and  its 
tissues  are  thus  built  up  only  by  such  elements  as 
its  sensitiveness  selects." 

The  training  of  the  warriors  with  the  new  guns 
was  a  stirring  sight  for  the  boys,  who  could  not 
help  but  be  present  during  most  of  the  time  during 
the  two  days  preceding  the  departure  for  the 
country  of  the  Tuolos. 

Kalph  and  Tom  begged  permission  to  accom 
pany  the  party,  and  this  was  a  natural  request, 
because  they  had  been  rescued  from  this  tribe  the 
year  before. 

It  thus  happened  that  the  party  of  warriors, 
equipped  as  they  had  never  been  before,  left  the 
village,  with  one  of  the  wagons,  which  was  loaded 
with  provisions  and  ammunition,  and  the  boys 
took  charge  of  the  team. 


CHAPTER   VH 

THE  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  THE  TUOLOS 

IT  was  decided  to  go  north  until  they  reached 
the  level  country,  which  would  afford  easy  travel, 
and  then  move  to  the  west  and  cross  the  large 
river  which  separated  the  Brabos  from  the  Tuolos, 
as  it  would  be  better  to  meet  them  on  the  extreme 
western  side  of  the  ridge  which  they  occupied. 

"Do  you  remember,  Blakely,  what  kind  of  coun 
try  is  to  be  found  directly  west  of  their  principal 
village?"  asked  John. 

"I  have  been  over  that  entire  country,"  respond 
ed  Blakely. 

"When  I  recovered,  the  morning  of  the  wreck, 
I  went  inland  at  once,"  remarked  John,  "and  I 
never  saw  the  sea  again.  When  you  related  your 
story  about  seeing  a  certain  tribe  offering  up 
victims  you  must  have  been  on  the  western  side 
of  the  village." 

"Yes ;  I  came  up  from  the  sea." 

"Well,  you  see  I  came  down  there  directly  from 
the  north,  and  I  reached  the  village  on  the  eastern 
side,  and  I  saw  the  sacrifice  of  the  captives  at  the 
same  time  you  did,  but  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
village." 

"That  is  very  probable.  On  the  western  side 
the  country  is  high,  but  not  difficult  to  travel 
across." 

"That  is  the  exact  point  I  am  aiming  at.  I 
know  that  all  the  way  down,  from  the  place  where 


EXPEDITION   AGAINST   THE   TUOLOS   87 

I  struck  into  the  interior,  it  would  be  almost  im 
passable  for  the  wagon." 

This  settled  the  route  to  be  taken,  and  they 
moved  westwardly,  after  crossing  the  river,  and 
before  night  the  boys  caught  the  first  glimpse  of 
the  broad  ocean. 

In  the  morning  they  put  out  scouts,  which  went 
well  in  advance  of  the  column,  and  Muro  was  in 
charge  of  them.  His  instinct  as  a  trailer  was  in 
imitable. 

Before  evening  of  the  second  day  the  scouts 
announced  the  first  signs  of  the  Tuolos.  The  vil 
lage  could  be  reached  within  two  hours'  march, 
but  John  advised  waiting  for  the  following  morn 
ing  before  approaching. 

During  the  early  evening,  however,  Muro  re 
turned  on  a  hurried  trip  from  the  front.  "They 
are  having  a  great  feast  at  the  village,  and  it  ap 
pears  that  they  will  make  sacrifices  to-night,  or  to 
morrow,  so  that  we  should  approach  as  close  as 
possible,  and  if  we  find  that  is  their  intention,  pre 
vent  it." 

This  news  stirred  all  into  activity.  The  column 
went  forward  with  the  utmost  caution,  although 
it  was  dark,  and  the  wagon  had  to  be  guided  along 
with  great  care. 

The  movement  proceeded  until  nine  o'clock,  and 
during  the  night  march  Muro  had  arranged  a  con 
stant  line  of  communication  with  John,  through 
his  runners.  A  festival  was  in  progress,  and  the 
two  victims  were  plainly  seen  by  John  when  he 
and  Muro  went  through  the  grass  and  inspected 
the  village. 

87 


88  THE   CONQUEST 

The  inaction  of  the  whites  had  entirely  dis 
armed  the  Tuolos.  Indeed,  as  afterwards  learned, 
they  began  to  think  that  fear  prevented  an  at 
tack  on  their  village,  and  no  sentinels  were  posted 
to  warn  them  of  any  approaching  foe. 

While  waiting  for  the  return  of  John  and  Muro, 
Ealph  and  Tom  also  wandered  around  the  section 
surrounding  the  camp.  They  were  in  a  valley, 
on  both  sides  of  which  were  ridges  running  north 
and  south.  The  moon  came  out  before  ten  o'clock, 
and  they  remembered  some  of  the  scenes  about 
them.  They  had  been  brought  from  the  south 
through  this  identical  valley  when  they  were  cap 
tured  by  the  Tuolos. 

They  were  on  the  hillside,  not  five  hundred  feet 
from  their  camp,  and  were  about  to  descend  the 
hill,  when  Kalph  started  back,  and  grasped  Tom's 
arm. 

"What  is  that  dark  object  directly  ahead?" 

The  dark  object  was  an  opening  into  the  hill, 
but  as  it  was  by  the  side  of  a  projecting  rock,  it 
had  the  appearance  of  an  object.  They  looked  at 
each  other  for  a  moment  in  silence. 

"I  wonder  if  this  is  another  cave,  or  the  one 
John  spoke  about!"  asked  Tom. 

"No,  that  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  village.  We 
are  below  the  village.  Do  you  think  we  had  better 
make  an  investigation  I" 

"Yes ;  but  I  wish  John  was  here.  Come  on ;  we 
have  plenty  of  help  here  if  we  need  it." 

The  opening  was  approached  as  noiselessly  as 
possible.  It  showed  a  typical  cave  entrance; 
through  solid  rock,  or,  rather,  through  what  ap- 


EXPEDITION   AGAINST   THE   TUOLOS   89 

peared  to  be  a  cleavage  which  had  been  spread 
apart.  They  had  no  light  of  any  kind,  but  the 
discovery  was  one  which  interested  them,  because 
they  knew  of  the  treasure  caves  existing  on  the 
island,  and  two  of  them,  at  least,  were  within 
their  knowledge,  and  contained  immense  hoards. 

"Can  you  strike  a  match,  so  we  can  get  some 
idea  of  it?"  asked  Tom. 

"I  am  going  to  try  it  at  any  rate."  So  saying, 
the  match  was  lighted,  and  its  beams  penetrated 
the  interior.  In  their  eagerness  the  match  was 
muffled,  and  went  out,  but  they  caught  sight  of 
a  huge  white  cross,  far  beyond,  and  it  seemed  to 
be  moving. 

"Did  you  notice  that?"  asked  Tom  excitedly. 

"Do  you  mean  the  cross?" 

"Yes." 

"It  seemed  to  move  up  and  down." 

"I  thought  so,  too." 

"I  don't  care  about  going  any  farther  without 
we  have  some  one  with  us  and  can  have  a  decent 
light." 

The  boys  hurried  to  the  camp,  and  waited  for 
John.  When  he  came  they  hurriedly  related  the 
experience. 

"That  will  do  to  investigate." 

"We  saw  a  cross  in  there,  moving  up  and  down." 

"Have  we  any  of  the  candles  with  us?"  he  asked. 

"Possibly;  I  can  soon  tell." 

Tom  came  back  with  the  news  that  he  had  found 
a  box  of  them. 

"As  the  village  is  quieting  down,  we  shall  have 
plenty  of  time  to  make  the  examination  to-night. 


90  THE   CONQUEST 

We  must  wait  until  Muro  returns,  so  as  to  get  the 
latest  news,  and  can  then  start  out." 

Muro  returned  shortly  after,  and  together  with 
the  boys,  went  up  the  hill,  and  entered  the 
mouth  of  the  cavern.  Three  candles  were  lighted. 
The  great  cross  was  before  them,  but  it  was  such 
a  different  thing,  now  that  they  were  face  to  face 
with  it.  The  end  of  the  chamber,  which  the  light 
penetrated,  had  four  openings  to  the  chambers 
beyond,  two  above  and  two  below.  These  open 
ings  were  separated  from  each  other,  and  the  white 
walls  between  the  openings  appeared  to  form  the 
white  cross. 

It  was  wonderfully  realistic,  this  fanciful  and 
fantastical  carving  of  nature  through  the  rocky 
structure. 

"But  I  saw  it  move;  that  is  sure,"  said  Tom. 

"Did  you  see  that  move,  or  was  it  the  light  of 
the  match  that  moved?"  asked  John.  "Imagina 
tion  plays  many  a  trick,  during  the  excitement  of 
the  moment." 

John  took  the  light,  and  by  moving  it  up  and 
down  showed  how  the  beams,  shining  past  the 
glistening  walls,  would  cause  the  illusion  of  the 
cross  moving. 

The  cavern  was  found  to  be  much  broken  up 
as  they  advanced,  and  reaching  the  second  set  of 
chambers,  it  was  evident  that  some  one  had  lately 
occupied  it.  Penetrating  farther  into  the  interior, 
they  were  surprised  to  see  articles  of  savage 
clothing,  and  long  reeds,  that  had  been  burned 
at  the  ends,  together  with  utensils  for  cooking. 

"We  have  entered  one  of  the  homes  of  the  medi- 


EXPEDITION   AGAINST    THE    TUOLOS   91 

cine  men  of  the  Tuolos.  I  have  no  doubt  they  are 
now  at  the  village  attending  the  festivals,  and  we 
had  better  leave  as  quickly  as  possible." 

Before  the  entrance  was  reached  they  heard  a 
great  commotion  outside,  and  their  own  people 
rushing  to  and  fro,  and  as  they  were  emerging 
three  fantastically  garbed  natives  met  them.  John 
ordered  them  to  halt  in  the  native  tongue,  and  they 
stood  there  irresolute.  The  boys  also  leveled  their 
guns  at  them,  and  they  submitted  as  Muro  and  his 
men  rushed  up. 

The  appearance  of  John  and  the  boys  startled 
Muro  beyond  expression,  as  the  latter  said :  "These 
are  the  medicine  men  of  the  tribe." 

"I  knew  it,"  responded  John.  "We  have  just 
been  investigating  the  place  they  live,"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  mouth  of  the  cavern. 

These  were  the  men  who  performed  the  sacred 
rites  of  the  Tuolos,  and  were  called  the  Krishnos, 
as  they  learned  from  Muro. 

"Take  them  to  the  camp,"  ordered  John. 

Without  more  ado,  they  were  hustled  down  to 
the  wagon.  It  seems  that  when  the  Krishnos  re 
turned  from  the  village  they  found  themselves  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  camp,  and  in  the  ef 
fort  to  escape  aroused  the  sentries,  who  rushed 
upon  them. 

If  they  could  have  reached  the  cave,  not  one  of 
the  warriors  would  have  dared  to  enter  it,  as  their 
superstitious  fears  would  have  prevented  them, 
but  outside  the  cave  they  had  no  such  feelings. 
It  was  fortunate,  therefore,  that  John  and  the 
boys  were  there  to  prevent  them  from  entering. 


92  THE   CONQUEST 

As  they  were  going  down  the  hill,  John  exhib- 
ited  a  curious  cross.  He  had  found  it  in  the  cave, 
just  before  he  advised  the  boys  to  go  out.  It  was 
made  of  stone,  and  one  of  the  limbs  had  a  hole 
near  its  end,  which  indicated  that  it  had  been 
carried  as  a  charm. 

"Isn't  that  singular?  Why  should  the  natives 
have  the  Christian  sign  of  the  cross  ?" 


^<f ig.lt  &ione  Crobb  found  in  Cave. 


"That  is  one  of  the  earliest  symbols  that  the 
world  knows.  Its  use  goes  back  beyond  the  earli 
est  period  of  history.  It  was  the  favorite  figure 
used  by  the  astronomers  and  astrologers  of  the 
ancient  Babylonians,  fully  four  or  five  thousand 
years  ago.  The  clay  tablets  and  stone  monuments 
of  the  Persians  contained  them;  the  Hittites,  in 
the  earliest  Jewish  times,  used  them ;  and  the  an 
cient  Egyptians  decorated  the  High  Priests  offi 
ciating  in  the  temples  with  figures  of  the  cross." 

"It  seems  to  me  that  if  it  was  used  by  peoples 
in  different  parts  of  the  earth,  there  must  have 
been  some  reason  for  it." 


EXPEDITION   AGAINST   THE   TUOLOS  93 

"One  of  the  well-known  forms  found  in  the  in 
scriptions  shows  the  cross  within  a  circle.  This 
seems  to  be  the  meaning  of  the  phrase  in  Isaiah 
which  says  the  'four  ends  of  the  earth.'  In  Bible 
times  the  earth  was  known  to  be  round,  so  that 
the  expression  used  in  the  Bible  about  the  'circle 
of  the  earth,'  and  the  four  ends,  seem  to  point 


clearly  to  the  cross  within  the  circle,  to  indicate 
the  four  points  of  the  compass." 

"So  the  Christians  took  an  old  form  and  made 
it  their  symbol?" 

"Yes ;  the  Roman  cross,  used  at  the  crucifixion, 
had  the  lower  stem  longer  than  the  other,  and 
from  this  fact  that  form  became  the  Cross  of 
Christianity." 

The  uproar  created  by  the  pursuit  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  warriors  in  the  village,  who  ran 
to  and  fro,  and  soon  learned  the  cause  of  the 
disturbance. 


94  THE    CONQUEST 

The  camp  was  kept  quiet,  however,  but  the 
scouts  watched  the  excitement  created,  and  report 
ed  the  results  at  frequent  intervals.  Muro  knew 
they  would  not  desert  the  village,  as  they  would 
not  be  likely  to  leave  it  at  the  mercy  of  their 
enemies,  at  least  without  a  fight. 

John  confronted  the  medicine  men  as  soon  as 
the  wagon  was  reached. 

"Why  do  your  people  make  war,  and  refuse  to 
treat  with  us  f " 

"Because  you  have  no  right  to  come  and  try  to 
kill  us." 

"Why  did  you  imprison  our  people,  and  offer  up 
some  of  them  as  a  sacrifice?" 

"Because  your  people  fought  us." 

"You  lie ;  you  took  those  who  were  defenseless, 
and  had  no  weapons.  You  do  not  tell  the  truth." 

"The  Great  Spirit  told  us  to  kill  you." 

"Why  do  you  try  to  lie  to  me.  I  do  not  believe 
you.  The  Great  Spirit  never  told  you  so.  He 
would  not  speak  to  you." 

"The  white  man  does  not  know.    He  speaks  to 


us." 


"Where  does  he  speak  to  you?" 

"In  the  sacred  cave." 

"How  does  he  tell  you?" 

"With  wonderful  signs." 

"Tell  me  some  of  the  wonderful  signs." 

"He  makes  a  great  light,  and  we  read  it  in  the 
light.  He  makes  a  great  noise,  and  we  know  what 
he  says." 

"Does  he  make  a  great  light  and  a  great  noise 
up  there  ?"  and  John  pointed  up  to  the  heavens. 


EXPEDITION    AGAINST   THE   TUOLOS   95 

"Yes." 

"Then  why  did  you  lie  to  me  when  you  said  that 
he  speaks  to  you  in  the  cave?" 

"We  can  understand  it  only  in  the  cave." 

While  they  were  thus  speaking  John  held  the 
stone  cross  in  his  hand,  and  the  Krishnos  eyed 
him  curiously.  He  finally  saw  the  movement,  and, 
quick  as  a  flash,  he  reached  down  in  his  pocket, 
unobserved  by  them,  and  drew  forth  one  of  the 
wooden  matches,  which  they  had  made  at  the  Cata 
ract. 

"What  is  this?"  he  asked  sternly,  pointing  to 
the  cross. 

They  raised  their  hands  and  rolled  their  eyes 
upwardly,  as  though  about  to  pronounce  a  male 
diction  on  John.  He  deftly  drew  the  match  along 
the  rear  side  of  the  stone,  and  as  it  blazed  forth 
into  light,  he  thrust  it  forward  into  their  faces. 

The  act  was  such  a  startling  one  that  they  threw 
themselves  on  the  ground  in  terror. 

"The  Great  Spirit  told  me  that  you  lied,  and  he 
is  about  to  come  out  of  the  stone  and  consume 
you.  He  will  follow  you  everywhere  unless  you 
go  to  the  Tuolos  at  once  and  tell  them  that  the 
Great  Spirit  has  told  you  to  give  up  the  captives, 
and  to  never  again  kill  any  of  them.  You  must  tell 
them  we  have  been  sent  to  make  them  our  friends, 
and  that  if  they  do  not  follow  this  advice  we  will 
punish  them." 

The  Krishnos  cringed  before  John.  It  was  ob 
vious  to  the  surrounding  warriors  that  the  words 
they  had  heard  had  an  ominous  import,  and  they 
saw  how  feeble  were  the  devices  of  the  so-called 


96  THE   CONQUEST 

wise  men  when  pitted  against  the  knowledge  of 
John. 

John  assumed  a  most  tragic  attitude,  as  he 
slowly  raised  his  arm  and  pointed  with  his  finger 
to  the  savage  village.  "Go,"  he  said,  "and  bring 
back  to  me  the  answer  before  the  morning  sun 
comes  up." 

They  hesitated.  "Do  you  fear  to  go?  Are  the 
wise  men  cowards?  Did  the  Great  Spirit  tell  you 
to  fear  the  Tuolos?  Shall  we  go  and  sacrifice  all 
your  people?" 

"They  will  not  believe  us;  they  will  kill  us." 

"Then  they,  too,  know  you  have  lied  to  them. 
If  you  remain  here  you  will  not  be  safe,  because 
the  great  light  might  destroy  you." 

Then  turning  to  Muro  he  said :  "Take  these  men 
to  their  village,  and  see  that  they  are  forced  to 
meet  their  chiefs,"  and  with  an  imperious  air  he 
turned  from  them. 

Muro's  warriors  were  not  too  gentle  with  them. 
The  spell  of  savage  witchcraft  had  been  broken. 
John  and  all  of  them  knew  it.  They  were  hustled 
forward  in  the  darkness,  and  as  they  approached 
the  village  Muro  told  them  to  advise  the  chiefs  in 
his  presence  what  John  had  said. 

Muro  and  the  warriors,  with  the  loaded  guns, 
remained  at  a  safe  distance,  and  the  Krishnos  en 
tered  the  village.  They  waited  in  silence  for  more 
than  an  hour,  and  then  a  commotion  was  noticed, 
which  grew  more  intense  as  the  voices  increased 
in  volume. 

In  the  meantime  John  with  the  rest  of  the  war 
riors  came  up  quietly  in  the  rear,  and,  after  con- 


EXPEDITION   AGAINST   THE   TUOLOS  97] 

suiting  with  Blakely  and  Muro,  the  village  was  sur 
rounded. 

The  boys  saw  the  large  hut  where  they  were  con 
fined,  after  being  captured,  and  from  which  they 
were  rescued.  Calling  John's  attention  to  it, 
Ralph  said :  "That  big  house  is  the  place  they  kept 
us,  and  that  if  where  you  found  us." 

John  looked  at  them  in  surprise.  He  did  not 
know  this,  as  at  the  time  the  boys  were  rescued  he 
was  in  mental  darkness,  and  did  not  recall  the  in 
cident. 

It  was  obvious  that  some  tragedy  was  being  en 
acted.  While  awaiting  the  result  of  the  confer 
ence  Muro  was  away  instructing  the  pickets  who 
were  around  the  village.  He  soon  appeared,  bring 
ing  with  him  two  Tuolos  whose  dress  betokened 
them  as  belonging  to  the  same  order  as  the  indi 
viduals  who  had  been  sent  into  the  village. 

Calling  John  aside  he  said : 

"The  Tuolos  have  two  rival  sets  of  medicine 
men.  These  belong  to  the  other  set,  and  are  the 
ones  who  perform  the  religious  rites." 

"Where  did  you  find  them?" 

"Directly  east  of  the  village." 

"Were  they  going  to  the  village  f " 

"Yes." 

"Did  they  come  from  the  hill  on  the  east  side?" 

John  mused  for  a  while,  and  then  said  quietly 
to  Muro:  "They  came  from  a  cave  on  the  hill, 
where  they  perform  their  rites,  and  it  is  a  place  I 
want  to  see.  It  is  one  of  the  reasons  I  insisted  on 
coming  to  settle  matters  first  with  the  Tuolos." 

Muro  was  astounded  at  the  information,  as  hei 


98  THE   CONQUEST 

asked :  "How  do  you  know  there  is  a  cave  in  the 

hill?" 

"Because  I  have  been  in  it,  and  I  know  what  it 
contains.  They  are  having  trouble  in  the  village 
with  the  Krishnos  we  sent  there." 

"Yes,"  responded  Muro ;  "and  they  have  sent  for 
the  others,  as  they  do  not  believe  what  they  have 
told  the  chiefs." 

"I  will  question  the  ones  you  have  brought  in." 

The  two  captured  were  brought  before  John. 
They  stood  before  him  in  defiant  attitude,  and 
some  of  the  Brabo  warriors  cringed  at  their  frown 
ing  mien. 

"Why  were  you  going  to  the  village?"  he  asked 
with  a  severe  frown. 

At  this  question  they  scarcely  deigned  to  move 
their  heads,  and  were  silent.  The  question  was 
repeated,  but  they  refused  to  answer.  This  was 
carrying  out  the  very  line  of  conduct  which  Muro 
had  advised  John  would  be  the  case,  and  in  con 
cert  they  had  mapped  out  a  course  of  action. 

"Tell  me,  Muro,  have  any  of  your  people  the 
same  fear  of  these  Krishnos  as  the  others  possess 
in  the  various  tribes?" 

"It  is  the  universal  belief  in  the  various  tribes 
that  to  offend  them  means  death.  The  only  ones 
who  are  supreme  are  the  chiefs,  who  often  im 
prison  them,  but  even  the  chiefs  dare  not  kill 
them." 

"Will  your  people  carry  out  our  command  if 
we  do  not  order  them  killed?" 

"My  people  will  do  whatever  I  say,  even  though 
it  be  to  kill  them.  They  saw  how  the  other  Krish- 


EXPEDITION   AGAINST   THE   TUOLOS   99 

nos  quaked  when  you  made  the  fire  come  out  of 
the  stone." 

"Then,  if  they  refuse  to  answer  me,  I  will  order 
them  to  be  beaten.  You  will  understand." 

"That  will  be  done  with  pleasure,"  he  answered. 

It  was  obvious  to  all  that  the  Krishnos  consid 
ered  themselves  immune  from  the  threats  of  John, 
as  they  stood  there  and  seemed  to  breathe  impre 
cations  on  the  heads  of  their  captors. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE  SUBMISSION  OF  THE  TUOLOS 

THE  situation  was  a  tense  one  to  the  entire 
party,  and  John  moved  forward,  placing  himself 
directly  in  front  of  them. 

"Do  you  think  the  Great  Spirit  can  prevent  us 
from  punishing  you?  If  you  do  not  answer  imme 
diately  I  will  call  on  him  to  lay  stripes  on  you.  Do 
you  answer?" 

He  stepped  back  slowly,  and  then  suddenly 
spoke  out  the  warning  signal  that  he  had  arranged 
with  Muro,  and  instantly  six  of  the  most  powerful 
Saboros  sprang  upon  them  and  bound  them  to 
gether  face  to  face.  John  stood  there  with  arms 
folded.  He  raised  a  hand,  and  two  of  the  warriors 
raised  the  supple  and  toughened  twigs,  and 
brought  them  down  on  their  bare  backs. 

It  was  all  done  with  such  wonderful  celerity  and 
precision  that  it  astounded  the  circle  of  warriors 
beyond  measure,  and  the  effect  was  doubly  so  to 
the  two  Krishnos.  John  had  staged  this  to  pro 
duce  the  greatest  effect.  The  Krishnos  were  bound 
with  their  heads  side  by  side,  and  a  cloth  put  over 
their  heads,  so  that  they  had  no  knowledge  who 
their  tormentors  were. 

They  danced  about,  and  in  their  shrieks  called 
out  imprecations  on  their  enemies,  but  soon,  as  the 
blows  continued,  begged  for  mercy,  and  Muro  sig 
naled  them  to  cease. 

100 


SUBMISSION   OF   THE   TUOLOS      101 

The  cloth  was  removed  and  John  again  ad 
dressed  them.  They  again  persevered  in  their 
silence,  and  at  a  motion  the  cloth  was  again  placed 
over  their  heads. 

Before  the  second  chastisement  began  they 
yielded  and  the  cords  were  released. 

"You  see  the  Great  Spirit  did  not  come  to  your 
assistance.  Why  were  you  going  to  the  village?" 

"To  tell  the  chiefs  not  to  yield  to  you." 

"The  Great  Spirit  has  told  me  to  tell  you  that 
the  Tuolos  must  give  up  their  captives,  and  cease 
war.  Will  you  tell  the  chief  so?" 

"The  Great  Spirit  did  not  tell  you  so,"  they  de 
fiantly  answered. 

At  a  signal  from  John  the  cords  were  again 
brought  into  play,  and  the  cloth  exhibited.  At  this 
sight  they  pleaded  for  mercy,  and  promised  to  do 
as  John  requested.  They  were  released  and  con 
ducted  to  the  outer  line  of  pickets,  and  quickly 
disappeared  within  the  village. 

It  was  now  nearly  four  in  the  morning,  and  the 
first  streaks  of  light  began  to  show  in  the  east. 
Muro  knew  the  Tuolo  character.  They  regarded 
themselves  to  be  the  superiors  of  all  the  tribes, 
and  hitherto  had  treated  the  others  with  contempt, 
excepting  the  Illyas,  whom  they  respected  only 
because  they  were  the  most  powerful. 

"They  are  having  a  warm  time  discussing  the 
situation,"  remarked  John,  as  he  noted  the  surg 
ing  inhabitants.  That  there  was  indecision  be 
came  apparent,  and  the  condition  of  the  Krishnos 
more  precarious,  as  light  began  to  give  them  a 


102  THE   CONQUEST 

more  decided  glimpse  of  the  activities  in  the  vil 
lage. 

Soon  warriors  were  noticed  rushing  to  and  from 
the  large  circle  within  which  the  Krishnos  sat. 
Bows  and  spears  were  hurriedly  grasped. 

"What  does  it  meanf '  asked  John. 

"It  is  likely  they  know  they  are  surrounded, 
and  have  decided  to  defend  themselves,"  answered 
Muro. 

A  warrior  of  distinguished  appearance  emerged 
from  the  circle,  and  advanced  toward  the  position 
occupied  by  John.  Muro  beckoned  to  John,  and 
together  they  moved  into  the  open.  The  warrior 
saw  the  two  approaching,  and  he  halted. 

Turning  to  his  band  he  spoke  a  word,  and  an 
other  no  less  distinguished  stepped  from  the  rank 
and  moved  toward  him. 

"The  first  one  is  the  chief,  and  the  other  one  he 
called  to  follow  is  the  next  in  rank.  As  there  are 
two  of  us,  so  must  there  be  two  on  his  side." 

John  and  Muro  advanced  without  halting,  and 
as  they  neared  each  other  the  chief,  in  the  most 
haughty  manner,  addressed  Muro  as  follows: 

"Why  do  you  come  to  make  war  on  my  people  ?" 

Muro,  taking  his  cue  from  John's  previous  atti 
tude,  rose  to  his  full  height  and  replied :  "You  have 
always  been  the  aggressor  against  the  other  peo 
ple,  and  you  have  within  the  last  moon  killed  and 
taken  two  Brabos  in  captivity,  and  we  demand 
their  return." 

"That  I  will  not  do." 

"Then  the  White  Chief  will  speak  to  you." 

John  advanced   and   began   the    conversation. 


SUBMISSION   OF    THE    TUOLOS      103 

"The  white  people  do  not  desire  war.  You  cap 
tured  two  of  my  people  and  I  took  them  from  you 
with  only  four  men.  All  the  tribes  but  you  and 
the  Illyas  have  united  to  compel  you  to  submit, 
and  you  shall  not  again  be  free  to  murder  and  in 
jure  other  people. 

"If  you  want  war,  we  are  prepared  to  fight  you. 
Your  village  is  surrounded,  and  we  have  the  fire 
guns  which  will  compel  you  to  yield.  If  you  will 
surrender,  we  will  see  to  it  that  you  and  your 
people  shall  not  be  harmed,  but  if  you  resist  you 
will  be  killed.  You  cannot  escape." 

The  chief  was  stunned,  and  could  not  answer. 
John  saw  the  impression  the  address  had  made, 
and  proceeded:  "What  did  the  Krishnos  tell  you? 
Did  they  not  tell  you  to  surrender?  Did  they  not 
tell  you  that  they  lied  when  they  said  the  Great 
Spirit  wanted  you  to  kill  us?" 

The  chief  was  silent.  Was  he  debating  the 
matter  in  his  mind ?  John  continued :  "When  this 
speaks,"  he  said,  pointing  to  his  gun,  "all  of  the 
fire  guns  about  your  village  will  speak." 

"How  shall  we  know  you  will  keep  your  word?" 

Muro  held  up  his  hand,  as  he  spoke :  "Ask  the 
Kurabus  whether  the  White  Chief  keeps  his  word." 

Before  he  could  reply,  John  added :  "The  White 
Chief  keeps  his  word.  He  believes  the  people 
here  will  keep  their  word  if  they  know  the  others 
will  do  so.  He  has  armed  the  tribes  who  have 
allied  themselves  with  him,  because  he  believes  in 
them,  and  we  do  not  want  to  make  you  captives, 
or  offer  sacrifices  of  your  brave  men." 

"The  White  Chief  speaks  wisely,"  said  Muro. 

88 


104  THE   CONQUEST 

"He  does  not  believe  in  making  sacrifices.  The 
Great  Spirit  has  told  him  that  is  wrong." 

Still  the  chief  pondered,  and,  slowly  raising  his 
head,  said :  "I  believe  the  white  man,  and  what  he 
says.  I  will  tell  my  people." 

He  turned  and  moved  toward  the  village,  John 
and  Muro  remaining  there,  as  an  indication  that 
they  expected  an  immediate  answer. 

"He  will  yield,"  said  Muro,  "and  according  to 
custom,  will  first  tell  his  people  what  his  decision 
is." 

Muro  was  right.  Within  a  half  hour  the  chief 
advanced  at  the  head  of  his  warriors,  the  latter 
of  whom  had  left  their  bows  and  spears  at  the 
circle,  and  the  two  stood  ready  to  receive  them. 

As  the  two  chiefs  appeared  the  warriors  lined 
up  behind  them. 

"I  have  brought  my  warriors  here  to  show  you 
that  we  will  be  friends."  And  John  advanced  and 
took  the  hand  of  the  chief. 

"In  my  country  we  become  friends  when  we  take 
each  other's  hands,  and  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you 
have  wisdom  to  accept  us  as  your  friends." 

At  a  signal  from  Muro,  the  warriors  advanced 
from  all  sides,  and  together  they  marched  into  the 
village,  the  different  ones  telling  the  Tuolos  the 
wonderful  things  the  White  Chief  was  doing,  and 
how  they  were  bringing  all  the  tribes  together, 
and  making  them  stop  war. 

The  first  act  of  the  Tuolo  chief  was  to  liberate 
the  two  Brabo  warriors.  When  the  wagon  was 
driven  into  the  village,  the  people  gathered  around 
the  curious  contrivance.  Some  of  them  remem- 


SUBMISSION   OF   THE   TUOLOS      105 

bered  it  when  it  was  there  nearly  a  year  before, 
but  under  quite  different  circumstances. 

The  boys,  Ealph  and  Tom,  soon  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  chief.  He  went  up  to  them,  and 
simulating  the  act  of  John,  held  out  his  hand. 
The  boys  understood  it,  and  respectfully  respond 
ed  and  saluted  the  chief,  in  regular  military  fash 
ion. 

Then,  as  a  climax  to  the  foregoing  events,  Blake- 
ly  gave  a  word  of  command  to  the  fifty  who  were 
armed  with  the  guns,  and  for  the  benefit  of  their 
new  allies,  put  them  through  a  manual  of  arms. 
The  precision  with  which  this  was  done,  and  the 
remarkable  manner  in  which  the  subsequent  evo 
lutions  were  performed,  astonished  the  Tuolos. 

While  this  was  going  on  there  was  little  time 
to  notice  the  condition  of  the  Krishnos.  They  had 
been  bound;  and  were  now  lying  in  disgrace  at  the 
place  where  the  circle  had  been  formed,  trembling 
at  their  fate. 

Before  preparations  had  been  made  for  break 
fast,  the  chief  gave  a  command,  and  a  number  of 
warriors  rushed  up  to  the  poor  fellows,  and  began 
to  drag  them  to  the  large  hut. 

Muro  motioned  to  John,  and  quietly  said :  "They 
will  probably  torture  them." 

John  appeared  before  the  chief  and  said:  "The 
Great  Spirit  will  be  offended  if  you  injure  the 
Krishnos." 

"What  would  you  have  me  do  with  them?" 

"Give  them  to  me." 

The  chief  ordered  them  to  be  brought  forward, 
and  spoke  to  them:  "The  White  Chief  has  asked 


106  THE   CONQUEST 

me  not  to  injure  you,  and  at  his  command  I  have 
given  you  to  him." 

This  announcement  seemed  to  stun  them,  but 
Muro  was  quick  to  assure  them  that  the  White 
Chief  meant  no  harm. 

The  boys  took  complete  satisfaction  in  going 
over  to  the  large  hut,  to  again  witness  the  place 
where  they  had  spent  two  weeks  in  terror,  ex 
pecting  that  each  day  would  be  their  last. 

But  we  must  return  to  the  Professor  and  the 
colony.  Two  days  after  the  departure  of  John 
and  his  force,  the  second  insulting  message  came 
from  the  Illyas,  in  which  the  statement  was  made 
that  they  and  the  Tuolos  had  united  to  drive  the 
White  Chief  from  the  country  and  to  destroy  the 
tribes  who  were  allied  against  them. 

A  messenger  was  sent  after  John,  but  this  was 
not  necessary,  as  the  Tuolos  were  in  their  power 
before  the  messenger  came. 

The  Professor  had  ordered  the  building  of  a 
number  of  small  houses,  each  containing  two  or 
three  rooms,  and  these  were  plainly  fitted  up  for 
comfort.  Some  of  the  natives  became  quite  ex 
pert  at  putting  up  these  structures  when  once  di 
rected. 

George  and  Jim  were  set  to  work,  with  a  half 
dozen  of  the  men,  at  building  chairs  and  tables 
for  the  houses,  and  the  work  of  weaving  the  cloth 
goods  was  not  interrupted  for  a  moment.  As 
stated,  the  women  began  to  drift  in,  and  the  Pro 
fessor  welcomed  them.  When  they  arrived,  many 
of  them  with  their  children,  the  Professor  as 
signed  them  and  their  husbands  to  these  cottages. 


SUBMISSION   OP   THE   TUOLOS      107 

This  was  an  intense  delight  to  them.  Each  cot 
tage  had  a  small  patch  of  ground  surrounding  it, 
and  the  first  care  was  to  advise  them  how  to  lay 
off  and  plant  flowers  about  the  place,  to  make  the 
surroundings  attractive. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  the  houses  were 
gifts.  It  was  not  the  purpose  to  instill  the  idea 
that  this  work  was  one  of  charity.  Instead  each 
head  of  a  family  was  made  to  understand  that  he 
must  pay  for  the  home,  and  this  was  done  in 
as  simple  a  manner  as  possible,  so  it  would  be 
appreciated  and  understood. 

Individual  effort  was  stimulated  on  the  part  of 
the  different  workers.  As  fast  as  the  members  of 
a  worker's  family  arrived,  they  were  installed  in 
houses,  and  then  began  a  new  system  of  provid 
ing  for  their  keep.  Hitherto,  they  had  boarded 
at  the  expense  of  the  common  fund ;  but  now  this 
was  gradually  changed,  and  they  were  informed 
that  each  family  must  provide  its  own  food,  and 
that  those  who  did  so  would  receive  a  larger  num 
ber  of  corns. 

This  resulted  in  each  one  trying  to  find  some 
new  direction  in  which  they  could  get  the  coins. 
It  is  curious  how  this  new  phase  of  living  brought 
out  traits  common  to  humanity  everywhere.  Some 
more  eager  than  others,  and  having  less  honesty 
than  the  common  run  of  natives,  sought  to  get  their 
sustenance  by  resorting  to  trickery  and  thievery. 

In  their  native  state  this  was  not  considered  a 
crime.  It  was  commendable,  unless  detected.  But 
by  constant  talk,  on  the  part  of  the  Professor,  and 
by  example,  he  instilled  into  the  policemen,  which 


108  THE    CONQUEST 

he  had  installed,  the  principles  of  honesty.  He 
awarded  those  who  were  vigilant,  and  the  result 
was  that  they  were  most  acute  to  detect  the  rogues. 

The  first  thief  was  caught  the  day  after  John's 
party  had  gone.  He  was  immediately  brought  be 
fore  the  Professor.  The  arrest  of  a  thief  was 
such  a  new  proceeding  that  the  workers  could 
not  be  kept  at  work,  and  the  Professor  suggested 
that  they  should  all  be  present  at  the  trial. 

The  inquiry  was  conducted  with  decorum,  Har 
ry  being  appointed  to  prosecute  him,  and  George 
to  defend  the  prisoner.  George  did  it  vigorously, 
too,  but  it  was  a  plain  and  palpable  case,  and  he 
was  found  guilty.  This  proceeding  was  another 
entirely  new  manner  of  treating  an  offender,  and 
the  people  marveled  at  the  attempt  to  defend  the 
thief. 

The  Professor  saw  the  cause  of  the  wonder 
ment,  and  said:  "We  do  not  defend  the  wrong, 
but  we  believe  that  each  man  who  is  charged  with 
a  crime  should  be  permitted  to  defend  himself. 
If  he  does  not  know  how  to  properly  defend  him 
self,  then  it  is  our  duty  to  see  that  he  is  protected 
in  all  his  rights,  for  he  is  not  a  criminal  until  it  is 
proven." 

"He  has  tried  to  explain  why  he  took  the  goods, 
but  you  know  what  he  has  said  was  not  true,  and 
he  must  be  punished  for  it.  He  must  work  two 
moons  without  getting  any  of  the  coins,  and  if  he 
repeats  the  crime,  he  must  work  until  he  restores 
the  value  of  the  goods  taken,  so  that  each  one  will 
know  that  a  thief  cannot  take  things  from  another 
without  paying  for  it." 


SUBMISSION   OF   THE   TUOLOS      109 

The  incident  for  a  long  time  deterred  anyone 
from  repeating  the  offense.  It  was  an  object  les 
son,  because  it  instilled  a  respect  for  a  law  which 
was  fair  to  all. 

Suros,  the  chief  of  the  Berees,  was  the  most  im 
pressed  by  the  scene,  and  could  not  express  him 
self  too  forcibly  at  the  wonderful  effect  which  the 
principle  would  have  on  the  tribes  in  their  deal 
ings  with  each  other.  He  was  really  an  intelligent 
native,  far  ahead  of  the  others  in  his  comprehen 
sion  of  the  duties  of  one  to  the  other. 

The  fact  that  he  was  regarded  with  reverence  by 
all  but  the  Kurabus,  and  was  even  respected  by 
them,  was  a  strong  factor  in  determining  the  Pro 
fessor  to  set  in  motion  a  form  of  government  which 
it  was  hoped  would  forever  terminate  all  bitter 
ness  of  feeling  between  the  tribes,  and  which  will 
be  detailed  hereafter. 

During  the  day  on  which  the  Tuolos  submitted, 
the  two  chiefs,  together  with  John,  Blakely  and 
Muro,  were  frequently  in  consultation. 

"The  Great  White  Chief,  who  rules  all  of  us, 
wishes  to  see  you,  and  you  must  bring  fifty  of 
your  warriors  with  you  to  his  village,"  said  John. 
"He  will  show  you  how  you  can  be  made  strong, 
and  your  people  happy.  He  will  tell  you  what  our 
purpose  is,  and  what  the  Great  Spirit  asks  you 
to  do.  We  will  start  in  the  morning." 

The  chief,  to  the  surprise  of  all,  did  not  demur 
at  this.  That  night  John  called  in  Blakely,  Muro, 
Kalph  and  Tom. 

"I  want  you  to  go  with  me  to  the  cave  on  the  hill 
to  the  east.  There  are  some  things  which  belong 


110  THE    CONQUEST 

to  us.  We  shall  take  them,  since  they  are  of  no 
use  to  the  people  here,  and  we  may  be  able  to  put 
some  of  the  things  in  such  a  condition  that  they 
will  be  of  value  to  the  people  on  the  island." 

The  wagon  was  taken  along,  and  the  people 
wondered  at  the  strange  proceedings.  Many  of 
them  followed,  but  Muro  warned  them  to  remain 
behind.  It  was  evident  to  all,  however,  that  they 
were  going  to  the  Krishno  cave,  and  its  purport 
was  a  mystery  to  them. 

John's  sense  of  direction  did  not  deceive  him. 
He  soon  found  the  entrance  on  the  village  side, 
and,  lighting  the  candles,  immediately  entered  the 
cavern.  John  led  the  way,  as  his  experience  in 
its  hollows  enabled  him  to  point  out  the  direction 
to  be  taken. 

The  interior,  lighted  up  by  the  candles,  was  most 
weird  and  beautiful.  The  stalactite  hangings  were 
not  massive,  but  showed  the  most  delicate  tracings, 
in  the  first  chamber  reached.  This  was  the  west 
ern  wing  of  the  great  interior  cross  which  John  had 
previously  described. 


CHAPTER   IX 

PLANS   FOB    THE    BENEFIT    OF    THE    NATIVES 

DIRECTLY  beyond  this  chamber,  and  on  a  line 
with  the  entrance  passage,  was  an  extension  which 
led  to  the  other  side  of  the  hill.  The  chamber 
formed  an  immense  cross,  in  its  plan  section,  and 
the  two  lateral  extremities  were  the  points  of  in 
terest. 

The  party  first  went  to  the  left,  and  there  found 
the  habitation  of  the  Krishnos.  Peculiar  imple 
ments  and  instruments  were  discovered,  and  all 
of  these  were  taken,  and  placed  together,  Muro 
and  the  boys  looking  on  in  wonder. 

Among  them  were  found  a  number  of  crude 
crosses  and  numerous  charms  or  amulets,  the  kind 
that  they  vended,  and  which  the  natives  gave  their 
souls  and  bodies  to  acquire. 

"The  possession  of  these  will  be  of  great  service 
to  us,  as  the  people  reverence  them,  and  we  must 
not  expect  to  change  their  beliefs  in  a  fortnight." 

"You  said  there  was  a  lot  of  treasure  here,"  re 
marked  Ralph. 

"That  is  in  the  other  wing  of  the  chamber.  As 
we  have  everything  from  this  place  that  is  service 
able,  we  will  go  to  the  south  wing." 

The  recessed  part  of  the  chamber  at  this  place 
had  the  appearance  of  being  carved  from  the  rock, 
and  decorated  with  the  universal  calcium.  The 
floor  was  covered  with  stalagmites,  rough  and  un- 

111 


112  THE   CONQUEST 

even,  showing  that  the  place  had  not  been  trod, 
perhaps  for  centuries. 

"What  are  those  curious  things  ?"  asked  Tom, 
gazing  at  the  square-shaped  objects,  which  were 
arranged  in  one  corner. 

"By  opening  them  we  shall  see." 

"Here  is  one,  partly  opened,"  exclaimed  Ralph 
in  great  excitement. 

"Yes;  that  is  the  one  I  tried  to  get  into,"  an 
swered  John.  "Notwithstanding  it  was  a  hazard 
ous  thing  to  do  at  the  time,  I  took  the  risk.  The 
Krishnos  were  at  that  very  time  at  the  other  wing 
which  we  just  left." 

The  receptacle  was  brought  out  and  examined. 
The  wealth  of  gold  and  silver  was  amazing.  Blake- 
ly  could  hardly  believe  the  testimony  of  his  eyes. 

"Your  ship,  the  Adventurer,  is  floating  around 
in  pieces  on  the  Pacific,  but  I  imagine  there  is 
enough  here  to  compensate  you  for  the  loss  of  the 
vessel,"  remarked  John,  as  he  noticed  Blakely's 
wondering  look. 

"How  can  we  ever  get  all  this  stuff  on  the 
wagon?"  asked  Tom.  "The  boxes  are  all  falling 
to  pieces." 

"The  Krishnos  have  plenty  of  copper  vessels,  as 
well  as  others,  which  they  have  gathered  up  from 
the  wrecks  on  the  coast.  You  know  the  best  of 
everything  goes  to  them,  and  the  chiefs  are  not 
strong  enough  really  to  prevent  them  on  account 
of  the  superstitious  fears  they  inculcate." 

True  enough,  the  eastern  wing  had  a  hoard  of 
vessels,  some  of  them  of  the  greatest  value,  which 
were  arranged  about  the  chests  of  treasure,  and 


PLANS   FOE  BENEFIT   OF  NATIVES    113 

the  work  of  filling  the  receptacles  was  industrious 
ly  undertaken.  This  occupied  them  for  fully  three 
hours,  and  the  greater  task  of  carrying  them  to 
the  wagon  was  begun. 

When  they  emerged  from  the  cave  at  four  in 
the  morning  they  were  tired  beyond  all  descrip 
tion,  but  they  had  a  mass  of  treasure,  that  did  not 
pale  in  comparison  with  the  amount  taken  out  of 
the  caverns  near  the  Cataract. 

In  the  morning  the  Tuolos  were  selected,  and 
the  chief  invited  to  enter  the  wagon.  John  went 
to  the  large  hut,  and  released  the  Krishnos.  They 
were  unbound,  and  directed  to  follow  the  marching 
column,  surprised  at  being  free  from  the  captive 
bonds.  They  could  not  understand  such  treatment, 
and  this  was  heightened  when  John  ordered  the 
aged  Krishno,  who  walked  with  difficulty,  to  take 
a  place  in  the  wagon. 

The  natives  saw  the  warriors  and  their  chief 
depart,  not  as  prisoners,  since  all  had  their  weap 
ons,  but  conducted  in  state,  if  the  appearance  of 
the  chief  in  the  vehicle  was  an  indication  of  the  pro 
ceeding. 

Two  days  thereafter  the  cavalcade  approached 
the  village,  and  the  chief  strained  his  eyes,  as  he 
peered  at  the  multitude  about  him,  and  saw  a  vil 
lage  of  a  most  remarkable  character,  where  two 
moons  before  was  a  virgin  tract  of  land. 

The  venerable  appearance  of  the  Professor  at 
tracted  him.  He  was  startled  at  the  sight  of 
Suros,  and  then,  glancing  about,  he  recognized 
Oma  of  the  Brabos,  Uraso  of  the  Osagas,  and 
lastly,  Tastoa,  chief  of  the  Kurabus,  lately  his  ally. 


114  THE   CONQUEST 

The  Professor  welcomed  him  with  outstretched 
hand.  "You  are  wondering  at  the  sight  of  your 
late  enemies,  and  of  your  friends.  We  have  noth 
ing  but  friends  here.  They  can  tell  you  that  we 
welcome  you  as  a  friend,  and  will  explain  why 
we  do  so.  We  will  show  you  what  the  people  are 
doing  for  themselves,  and  how  happily  they  live, 
and  the  White  Chief  brought  you  here  so  that  you 
might  see  these  things  for  yourself." 

"We  welcome  you,  Marmo,  as  one  of  our 
friends,"  said  Suros.  "I  tried  many  moons  ago  to 
tell  you  that  the  Great  Spirit  did  not  want  us  to 
kill  each  other,  but  the  wise  men  told  you  differ 
ently.  We  do  not  believe  them  any  more,  but  lis 
ten  "to  the  White  Chief." 

"He  has  told  us  the  most  wonderful  things,  and 
taught  us  how  the  white  men  live,  and  how  dif 
ferent  tribes  live  together  in  peace." 

After  the  welcoming  functions  and  the  explana 
tions  were  concluded,  he  was  taken  to  the  differ 
ent  works,  and  everything  explained  to  him.  He 
saw  the  water  wheel,  and  how  it  turned  the  saw 
mill  and  the  grindstone  and  lathes,  and  the  mill 
for  making  the  flour. 

The  looms  interested  him  the  most  of  all.  It  is 
singular  how  the  various  tools  and  machinery 
affected  the  different  ones,  and  this  was  particu 
larly  observed  by  the  boys. 

"I  have  watched  the  several  tribes,"  said  Harry, 
as  they  first  looked  about  them  at  the  strange 
things,  and  it  is  curious  how  the  different  things 
impress  them.  I  have  noticed  that  the  Osagas  are 
particularly  interested  in  machinery.  The  Saboros 


PLANS   FOR  BENEFIT   OF   NATIVES    115 

like  anything  connected  with  the  soil,  and  they 
would  make  good  agriculturists." 

"Don't  you  remember  when  Uraso  came  to  the 
Cataract  he  never  took  any  stock  in  the  guns,  but 
Stut  couldn't  keep  his  hands  off  them?"  responded 
Tom. 

"The  old  chief  Marmo  thought  the  loom  was  the 
finest  thing  in  the  whole  lot.  He  is  over  there 
now,  and  has  been  watching  it  for  the  last  two 
hours." 

For  two  days  the  chief  wandered  around,  pay 
ing  no  attention  to  anything  but  the  machinery, 
and  the  products  turned  out.  The  coins  were  a 
novelty,  and  a  string  wras  presented  to  him.  He 
noticed  the  friendly  attitude  of  all  the  warriors 
to  his  men,  and  marveled  at  the  change. 

He  could  not  understand  why  the  men  would 
work  for  the  coins,  and  then  give  them  up  for 
something  else.  The  Professor  tried  to  explain 
this,  and  it  must  be  confessed  that  it  was  a  hard 
thing  to  do.  It  seemed  that  nothing  but  a  prac 
tical  application  would  make  it  plain. 

The  Tuolo  chief  was  a  ready  listener  now,  and 
was  unusually  quick  to  grasp  a  situation,  although 
he  could  not  learn  the  ethics  of  the  white  man. 
The  Professor  had  him  present  at  one  of  the  trials 
for  theft  of  a  petty  nature,  which  occurred  a  few 
days  after  his  arrival. 

He  was  surprised  to  find  that  any  notice  should 
be  taken  of  such  a  trivial  affair.  The  Professor, 
commenting  on  it  at  the  trial,  which  he  did  particu 
larly  for  the  benefit  of  Marmo,  said :  "It  is  not  the 
amount  of  the  theft,  but  the  act  itself,  which  we 


116  THE    CONQUEST 

must  condemn.  If  you  could  have  taken  a  larger 
amount  you  would  have  done  so,  and  you  must 
learn  that  the  property  you  took  did  not  belong 
to  you  but  the  some  one  else,  and  that  is  just  as' 
much  a  crime  as  though  you  took  all  the  man  pos 
sessed." 

That  was  sufficient  for  his  first  lesson  in  jus 
tice.  "But,"  he  asked  of  the  Professor,  "can  all 
men  be  guilty  of  doing  wrong?" 

"Can  you  do  wrong?" 

"Yes." 

"But  you  are  a  Great  Chief,  and  how  can  you 
do  wrong  in  taking  things  from  your  people  ?" 

"Because  the  people  own  the  things,  just  as 
much  as  you  own  the  things  which  you  have  prop 
erly  obtained." 

"Then  if  you  do  wrong,  will  you  be  punished  ?" 

"Yes;  just  the  same  as  the  people  who  do 
wrong.  *  My  punishment  should  be  greater,  if  I 
do  wrong,  because  I  should  set  them  an  example 
to  do  right." 

"But  how  can  I  do  wrong  if  I  take  anything 
from  my  people?  I  own  everything." 

"Who  gave  everything  to  you?  By  what  right 
should  you  or  I  own  everything?  Because  we  are 
chiefs  does  not  give  us  the  right  to  own  every 
thing." 

"Then  how  can  the  chiefs  ever  own  anything?" 

"They  should  work  for  it  like  everyone  else 
does."  " 

"Do  you  work  like  the  others  do  ?" 

"Yes;  I  oversee  the  work  of  others  and  try  to 
make  them  happy,  and  see  that  no  one  is  idle  and 


PLANS   FOE   BENEFIT  OF  NATIVES    117 

that  the  laws  are  obeyed.  For  that  work  I  am 
paid,  just  as  the  others  are  paid  for  the  work  they 
do.  I  do  this  work  because  my  people  ask  me  to 
do  so,  and  they  pay  me  a  certain  number  of  coins 
for  the  work,  the  same  as  the  man  is  paid  for  the 
particular  work  he  does." 

This  doctrine,  so  entirely  new,  could  not  be 
grasped  at  once,  and  he  continued  with  his  ques 
tionings  :  "But  the  people  may  not  want  me  as  their 
chief,  and  take  some  one  else,  and  that  would 
cause  trouble,  and  no  one  would  know  who  was 
chief." 

"Then  it  becomes  your  duty  to  so  conduct  your 
self  that  they  will  not  want  some  one  else  to  be 
chief.  If  a  man  works  for  me  and  he  does  not 
know  or  care  how  he  does  the  work,  or  is  careless, 
and  I  cannot  depend  on  him,  I  get  somebody  else 
in  his  place.  Would  you  keep  such  a  man?" 

"No;  but  I  would  have  the  power  to  send  him 
away." 

"Then  the  wise  chief  must  know  that  if  he  acts 
as  a  true  father  to  his  people  they  will  not  try 
to  get  another  chief." 

Blakely  had  been  a  man  of  affairs  at  home,  and 
was  a  sharp,  shrewd  business  man.  To  him  the 
Professor  entrusted  the  arranging  of  the  affairs  of 
the  town,  impressing  on  him  the  importance  of  di 
recting  the  natives  into  a  wide  and  diversified  char 
acter  of  enterprises. 

The  business  was  one  admirably  suited  to  his 
temperament.  He  had  long  ago  spoken  to  the 
boys  and  John  about  the  promotion  of  the  island, 
by  the  establishments  of  various  industries,  and 


118  THE   CONQUEST 

particularly  agricultural  pursuits,  which,  would 
require  workmen  to  cultivate  coffee,  cocoa,  the 
spices,  and  the  numerous  vegetable  products  which 
grew  in  a  wild  state  in  great  abundance  every 
where. 

These  various  articles,  if  grown  systematically, 
would  mean  an  immense  source  of  wealth,  and 
should  afford  employment  for  all  the  natives,  and 
thus  mean  their  advancement. 

The  hills  were  full  of  mineral.  He  knew  this, 
and  had  the  testimony  of  the  Professor  as  to  the 
valuable  character  of  the  various  ores.  Sooner  or 
later  communication  could  now  be  established  with 
the  outer  world.  All  were  contemplating  the  prep 
aration  of  a  suitable  vessel  which  would  enable 
them  to  return  to  the  United  States. 

One  evening,  while  the  conversation  was  on  this 
absorbing  topic,  he  remarked :  "I  don't  know  how 
you  gentlemen  feel  about  this  place,  but  as  for 
myself  I  feel  that  from  a  business  point  of  view 
this  is  the  ideal  spot.  I  am  just  as  anxious  as  you 
are  to  see  my  home  again,  but  the  possibilities 
are  so  immense  here,  that,  as  soon  as  possible, 
I  shall  come  back." 

"For  my  part,"  replied  the  Professor,  "if  a 
ship  should  appear  in  the  habor  to-morrow,  I 
would  not  for  a  moment  consider  leaving  these 
people.  The  work  of  their  redemption  is  not  even 
started  in  such  a  way  as  to  permit  me  to  safely 
leave  them.  The  boys  may  well  be  pardoned  and 
commended  for  wanting  to  go  home,  but  my  work 
is  here." 

"That  expresses  my  sentiment  exactly,"  said 


PLANS  FOB   BENEFIT   OF  NATIVES    119 

Harry.  "I  want  to  go  home,  it  is  true,  but  what  a 
wonderful  experience  we  have  had  here,  and  when 
I  think  of  the  remarkable  progress  we  have  made 
it  astonishes  me  more  than  I  can  tell  you.  If  I  do 
I  go  home  it  will  be  to  come  back  again,  because  I 
want  to  be  where  the  Professor  is.  I  like  this 
work,  and  the  excitement  it  affords." 

"You  won't  have  any  more  savages  to  fight,"  re 
sponded  the  Professor,  "and  it  might  not  be  so 
interesting  for  you." 

"Making  guns  is  much  more  pleasant  than  using 
them  against  people." 

George's  face  was  a  study.  He  was  the  senti 
mental  one  of  the  lot.  He  was  by  all  odds  the 
most  emotional,  and  the  greatest  lover  of  home. 
But  withal  that  he  reechoed  the  sentiments  of 
Harry.  "If  I  could  only  see  home  again,  I  would 
be  content,  and  when  I  came  back  it  would  be  to 
know  that  I  could  return  whenever  I  wanted  to." 

All  the  boys  were  enthusiastic  about  the  trip 
home.  Many  plans  were  projected,  and  talked 
over. 

"Won't  it  create  a  sensation,"  remarked  Balph, 
when  it  is  announced  that  three  of  the  Investi 
gator's  lifeboats  were  wrecked  on  an  island,  and 
that  the  survivors  arrived  after  an  absence  of — " 

"Yes,"  broke  in  Tom.    "How  long?" 

"That  will  depend  on  several  things,"  said 
John.  "First,  to  bring  the  Illyas  to  terms,  and 
second,  to  build  a  boat  big  enough  to  take  us  safely 
to  the  nearest  harbor  which  is  in  communication 
with  America.  As  for  myself,  this  life  and  the 

89 


120  THE    CONQUEST 

hopes  for  the  future  are  too  alluring  for  me  to  even 
try  to  get  away." 

With  characteristic  energy  Blakely  consulted 
Harry  and  the  working  force  in  the  shop. 

"Do  you  think  we  could  turn  out  some  plows?" 
he  asked. 

Harry  smiled.  "This  establishment  is  prepared 
to  turn  out  anything  it  has  orders  for." 

"Then  put  down  my  order  for  a  half  dozen 
plows,  to  be  delivered  as  quickly  as  possible." 

The  new  town  was  located  within  the  territorial 
limits  of  the  Osagas'  country,  and  it  was  now 
necessary  to  make  immediate  provision  for  some 
sort  of  laws  or  regulations  with  respect  to  the 
land.  The  savage  theory  was  that  the  chief  owned 
all  the  land,  and  this  was  a  condition  that  well 
might  breed  trouble. 

Osaga  was  the  chief.  He  was  the  first  to  re 
ceive  the  full  understanding  of  the  new  doctrine. 
It  was  proposed  that  he  should  receive  as  full  com 
pensation  a  certain  stipulated  sum,  and  in  return 
make  a  transfer  of  all  his  rights  to  the  State. 

"But  what  is  the  State,"  he  asked,  "and  who  will 
he  be?" 

"The  State  will  mean  all  of  you." 

"Then  I  will  own  a  part  of  it  just  the  same  as 
everybody  else?" 

"Yes;  let  me  explain  that  still  further.  When 
your  people  begin  to  raise  coffee  and  cocoa,  and 
all  the  other  things  which  the  people  in  the  world 
will  come  here  for  and  buy  of  you,  the  lands  all 
about  you  will  become  very  valuable,  and  many 
will  come  here  to  buy  them.  The  money  will  go 


PLANS  FOE  BENEFIT  OF   NATIVES    121 

to  the  State,  which  means  you  and  everyone  else 
here.", 

"Will  it  be  done  the  same  with  the  Berees,  and 
the  Kurabus  and  the  Saboros?" 

"Yes ;  each  will  be  a  State  of  its  own,  and  will 
be  governed  in  the  same  way,  and  a  Saboro  will 
come  here  and  buy  some  land,  and  you  will  pro 
tect  him,  and  when  one  of  the  Osagas  goes  to  the 
Berees  he  can  buy  land  there,  and  they  must  pro 
tect  him  and  his  wife  and  children." 

"Yes;  I  see  what  you  mean.  I  am  content.  I 
will  do  this  whether  the  others  do  or  not." 

"But  I  assure  you,"  continued  the  Professor, 
"that  the  others  will  be  compelled  to  do  as  you 
do." 

"How  can  we  compel  them?" 

"No  one  will  want  to  buy  their  land,  and  they 
will  not  become  valuable  for  that  reason,  like 
yours,  because  the  people  who  come  here  will  buy 
only  where  they  know  there  is  a  law  and  where 
they  know  they  will  be  protected." 

Uraso  grasped  the  wonderful  import  of  this 
statement,  and  became  its  most  enthusiastic  ad 
vocate.  He  had  many  talks  with  Marmo  and  Muro, 
and  he  presented  the  matter  hi  such  a  way  that 
most  suitably  appealed  to  the  savage  mind. 

The  all-absorbing  topic  now  was  the  proposed 
expedition  to  the  Illyas.  Marmo,  the  Tuolo  chief, 
had  sent  a  message  to  their  chief,  in  which  he  set 
forth  the  advantages  which  would  accrue  to  them 
to  quietly  submit,  and  also  stated  that  he  did  so 
willingly,  in  the  belief  such  a  course  would  be  of 
the  greatest  and  most  lasting  benefit. 


122  THE   CONQUEST 

Marmo  had  received  no  response,  and  the  out 
look  boded  no  good.  Preparations  were  begun, 
and  Marmo  insisted  that  his  warriors  should  form 
part  of  the  force,  and  that  he  himself  would  ac 
company  the  expedition.  As  the  boys,  by  the 
aid  of  their  helpers,  had  been  at  work  on  the  guns 
from  the  time  the  factory  was  set  up,  they  had 
a  hundred  and  twenty  guns  completed.  This  was 
ample  for  any  requirement. 

Two  new  wagons  were  also  made,  and  several 
smaller  ones,  designed  for  single  steers,  the  latter 
being  used  by  the  Professor  and  the  chiefs  in  go 
ing  to  and  fro. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  PECULIAR  SAVAGE  BELIEFS  AND  CUSTOMS 

THE  chief  Marmo  had  now  an  opportunity  to 
learn  another  lesson  he  was  not  prepared  for. 
Many  of  the  warriors  objected  to  going  on  the  ex 
pedition.  The  work  at  the  factory  and  in  the  vari 
ous  occupations  so  fascinated  them  that  they 
begged  to  be  excused. 

At  the  request  of  the  Professor  many  were  ex 
cused  from  going,  care  having  been  taken  to  con 
sult  the  boys  who  had  charge  of  the  various  parts 
of  the  business  as  to  the  ones  which  could  best  be 
spared. 

Marmo  mused  over  these  things.  He  saw  the 
great  cordiality  that  existed  between  his  warriors 
and  the  other  tribes.  He  was  also  gratified  to  see 
some  of  his  men  making  things  which  were  novel 
to  him,  as  they  were  fascinating  to  the  men. 

The  Krishnos  were  all  about  and  were  the  per 
sonal  charges  of  the  Professor.  He  had  them 
daily  in  the  laboratory,  and  all  seemed  to  be 
pleased  and  happy.  Marmo  wanted  to  know 
whether  they  desired  to  go  home,  but  all  declined, 
There  seemed  to  be  a  fascination  about  the  place 
he  could  not  understand. 

One  evening  the  Professor  saw  a  Tuolo  worker 
stealthily  coming  up  the  pathway  leading  to  the 
laboratory,  and  after  looking  about  with  a  curi- 

123 


124  THE   CONQUEST 

ous  air,  pushed  open  the  door,  and  in  the  most 
subservient  manner  begged  permission  to  speak. 

The  Professor  took  him  by  the  hand  and  led 
him  to  a  chair.  "What  is  it  you  want,  my  man? 
Can  I  do  anything  for  youf ' 

The  hearty  manner  and  smiling  face  of  the  Pro 
fessor  emboldened  him  to  speak. 

"I  have  a  wife  and  three  children  in  the  Tuolo 
village,  and  I  want  permission  to  bring  them 
here." 

"Don't  you  want  to  go  back  there  ?" 

"If  I  do  then  I  will  have  no  more  work.  I  like 
the  work.  I  can  make  many  things  now,  and  I 
want  my  family  here." 

This  was  an  appeal  which  could  not  be  neg 
lected,  and  he  responded  in  this  manner:  "You 
do  not  need  to  ask  me  to  bring  your  family  here. 
You  have  a  right  to  do  so." 

"But  my  chief  will  not  let  me  do  so." 

"Did  you  ask  him?" 

"No."" 

"Then  I  will  send  for  him." 

When  Marmo  appeared  the  Professor  told  him 
the  desire  of  the  man,  and  when  he  had  concluded 
the  chief  was  puzzled  for  a  moment,  and,  turning 
to  the  warrior,  said : 

"I  cannot  understand  why  my  warriors  do  not 
care  about  going  to  war.  They  like  the  machinery, 
and  the  way  the  little  things  are  made,  and  to 
learn  how  to  make  them.  The  White  Chief  says 
you  have  a  right  to  bring  your  family  here.  That 
is  well ;  but  you  must  not  forget  your  people,  and 
when  you  learn  these  wonderful  things  you  must 


PECULIAR   SAVAGE   BELIEFS      125 

come  and  teach  the  people  at  the  village  how  to 
do  them." 

He  was  extremely  gratified  at  this  permission. 
A  half  hour  afterwards  the  Professor  called  Tom 
and  told  him  of  the  incident,  and  suggested  that 
he  should  be  provided  with  a  quantity  of  food  for 
the  journey.  But  he  had  already  gone.  That  was 
certainly  sufficient  to  show  the  intense  eagerness 
to  bring  back  his  people. 

George  and  Ralph  were  the  ones  who  were  al 
ways  on  the  alert  for  new  things,  and  Jim  made 
a  good  companion  for  them  in  this  respect.  The 
latter  was  the  first  one  to  actively  canvass  the 
subject  of  a  name. 

There  had  been  too  much  to  do  even  to  think 
of  this  before,  and  if  it  occurred  to  the  Profes 
sor  he  had  never  mentioned  it.  Jim  went  over  to 
see  the  Professor  as  soon  as  the  idea  occurred  to 
him. 

The  Professor  smiled  when  he  saw  Jim's  eager 
ness. 

"Yes,  the  idea  is  a  good  one,  but  that  is  some 
thing  which  you  boys  will  have  to  decide.  It  has 
not  occurred  to  John  and  Blakely,  I  know." 

"I  thought  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  call  it 
Industria,  or  something  of  that  kind,"  responded 
Jim. 

"I  like  that  name,  but  you  settle  it  among  your 
selves."  Jim  was  back  very  quickly,  and  rushing 
in  to  the  boys,  cried  out : 

"The  Professor  said  it  was  up  to  us  to  get  a 
name  for  it." 

"Name  for  what?"  asked  Harry. 


126  THE   CONQUEST 

"For  the  town,  of  course." 

"Well,  what  shall  it  be?"  asked  Tom. 

"Call  it  America,"  shouted  Will. 

"Oh,  that's  too  big  a  name,"  roared  Ealph,  with 
a  scornful  touch  in  his  voice.  "Just  imagine  how 
this  would  sound :  'William  Eudel,  Esq.,  America, 
Wonder  Island?'  What  would  the  postmaster 
think  of  such  an  address?" 

It  did  look  a  little  out  of  proportion,  as  the  boys 
laughed  at  the  sally. 

"Let's  call  it  Independence ;  everybody  seems  to 
be  pretty  independent  here,"  was  Tom's  sugges 
tion. 

"I  have  the  best  name  in  the  lot." 

"What  is  it?" 

"Industrial 

"There  you  are  again  with  your  Latin,"  an 
swered  Harry.  "This  is  going  to  a  real  American 
town.  None  of  your  Latin  endings,  or  any  other 
dead  language.  This  is  a  live  town." 

"Here  is  John;  let's  get  a  suggestion  from  him." 

He  heard  the  merry  laughter,  and  as  he  ap 
proached  wonderingly  inquired  about  the  cause  of 
the  hilarity.  George  said :  "We  have  been  holding 
a  convention  to  find  a  name  for  the  town.  We 
have  decided  to  leave  it  to  you." 

"Name  of  the  town?  Let  me  see.  I  suppose 
you  want  a  stunning  name?  Something  that  will 
make  people  sit  up  and  take  notice.  Eh?  Well, 
if  it  turns  out  all  right  it  doesn't  need  a  name, 
and  if  it  is  a  failure  everybody  will  be  calling  it 
names." 

The  boys  laughed  at  this  first  attempt  that  John 


PECULIAR   SAVAGE   BELIEFS      127 

had  ever  essayed  to  treat  a  subject  in  a  jesting 
way,  but  he  continued :  "If  this  convention  hasn't 
enough  wit  about  it  to  select  a  name  I  don't  think 
you  ought  to  get  an  outsider  to  make  a  sugges 
tion.  But  seriously,  Unity  would  be  a  good  name ; 
and  so  Hustletown." 

"Unity  is  just  the  thing,"  suggested  George, 
There  was  not  a  dissenting  voice. 

"Now  that  we  have  the  name,  I  suppose  we  shall 
have  to  christen  it  to  make  it  hold,"  remarked 
George. 

"Considering  the  trials  and  tribulations  we  have 
gone  through  to  put  this  town  on  the  map  it  doesn't 
need  any  christening.  If  we  work  as  hard  to  make 
it  a  success  as  we  did  to  get  it  started  we  needn't 
be  ashamed  of  it,"  said  Harry. 

"Probably,  the  same  principle  will  apply  in  this 
case  as  the  sentence  uttered  by  the  Hindoo  priests 
at  the  christening  of  an  infant." 

"What  is  that?" 

"Thou  hast  come  into  the  world  with  all  around 
thee  smiling ;  so  live  that  when  thou  departest  thou 
mayest  smile  while  all  around  thee  weep." 

"That  is  a  beautiful  sentiment.  Hurrah  for 
Unity!"  and  George  raised  his  hat  to  start  the 
shouting. 

As  the  expedition  against  the  Illyas  was  about 
ready  to  start,  the  time  for  the  departure  was  set 
for  the  following  day.  Two  of  the  wagons  were 
brought  into  requisition,  and  loaded  with  suffi 
cient  provisions  to  prevent  the  necessity  of  forag 
ing  too  much. 

George  and  Harry  begged  to  be  taken  along,  as 


128  THE   CONQUEST 

they  had  put  in  some  strenuous  times  during  the 
two  months  at  Unity,  and  this  was  readily  granted. 
The  other  boys  were  to  remain  and  take  charge  of 
the  active  work.  John  had  command  of  the  ex 
pedition,  and  Blakely  had  now  too  much  work  at 
the  new  town  to  enable  him  to  take  part. 

Over  three  hundred  warriors  were  mustered  for 
the  expedition.  One  hundred  of  the  picked  men 
had  the  muzzle-loading  guns,  and  an  ample  supply 
of  ammunition  was  stored  in  the  wagons,  and  each 
gun  bearer  had  twenty-five  rounds. 

The  Professor  said,  on  the  eve  of  their  depart 
ure  :  "I  have  every  confidence  in  the  ability  of  Mr. 
Varney  to  make  it  unnecessary  to  give  him  any  ad 
vice,  but  I  must  say  a  word  to  all  the  warriors. 
You  are  going  to  the  tribes,  not  for  the  purpose 
of  revenge.  We  know  they  have  captives  in  their 
possession,  and  we  have  demanded  their  return. 
They  sent  us  an  insulting  message. 

"Notwithstanding  this,  we  must  consider  that 
they  have  sent  us  this  reply  out  of  ignorance  of  our 
true  purpose.  Each  man  must  conduct  himself  as 
the  chiefs  dictate.  There  must  be  no  killing  ex 
cept  in  self-defense." 

Muro  and  Uraso,  as  well  as  Ealsea,  were  to  ac 
company  them,  but  the  other  chiefs  were  kept  at 
home,  this  arrangement  having  been  made  be 
cause  the  others  really  preferred  to  continue  the 
work  in  the  factory  and  field. 

It  was  a  glorious  day  to  begin  the  campaign. 
George  and  Harry  were  in  their  element. 

"What  a  wonderful  thing  it  is  to  look  at  these 
people  now,  and  recall  what  our  situation  was  a 


PECULIAR   SAVAGE   BELIEFS      129 

year  ago,"  said  Harry,  as  they  drove  down  the 
road  which  had  been  made  from  the  village  to 
the  east. 

"Yes;  a  year  ago,  we  were  having  some  trou 
bles,  as  it  was  about  that  time  we  got  the  first 
intelligence  that  these  people  were  on  the  island," 
answered  George. 

"I  had  particular  reference  to  the  trip  we  made 
by  sea,  when  we  were  wrecked  the  second  time." 

The  entire  column  marched  out  past  the  Pro 
fessor  and  the  chiefs  Oma,  Suros,  Marmo  and 
Tastoa.  The  six  tribes  had  contributed  to  the 
expedition,  which  they  hoped  would  end  all  future 
wars,  and  put  the  island  in  a  condition  of  peace, 
and  thus  enable  them  to  carry  out  the  great  work 
planned  by  the  Professor. 

Before  evening  of  the  second  day  the  main  Sa- 
boro  village  came  in  sight.  Muro  was  in  a  heaven 
of  delight.  Many  of  his  warriors  were  in  the  col 
umn,  and  some  still  remained  at  Unity.  But  the 
women  and  children  were  still  there,  and  they 
rushed  out  to  meet  the  advancing  column. 

The  news  of  the  uprising  of  the  Illyas  was  con 
firmed.  A  large  party  of  them  were  less  than  a 
day's  march  to  the  east,  and  the  appearance  of  the 
fighting  force  was  a  welcome  one.  There  was  no 
reason  to  apprehend  that  they  had  any  knowl 
edge  of  the  surrender  of  the  Tuolos. 

The  night  and  part  of  the  day  spent  at  the  Sa- 
boro  village  was  a  period  of  feasting.  Uraso  met 
his  sister,  the  wife  of  Muro,  and  the  boys  were 
lionized  by  the  chief's  family,  who  took  particu 
lar  pleasure  in  entertaining  them.  They  had  heard 


130  THE   CONQUEST 

so  much  about  the  remarkable  boys,  and  their  ca 
pacity  to  make  the  beautiful  things. 

Harry  and  George  brought  with  them  a  number 
of  the  mirrors,  and  those,  with  other  little  trink 
ets,  were  presented  to  the  women.  The  boys  were 
particularly  impressed  with  Muro's  eldest  son,  a 
boy  of  their  same  age,  and  George  won  Muro's 
heart  when  he  asked  if  he  could  not  accompany 
them. 

Speaking  to  Harry  he  said :  "Wouldn't  Lolo  en 
joy  the  work  at  the  factory?  I  hope  he  will  let 
us  take  him  with  us  when  we  go  back." 

"I  am  going  to  ask  Muro,"  replied  Harry,  and 
he  sought  him  out  at  once.  "We  want  Lolo  to  go 
back  with  us  to  Unity." 

Muro  was  delighted  at  the  proposal,  and  he 
answered:  "Yes;  Lolo  shall  go  back  with  us,  be 
cause  all  of  my  family  are  going  with  us  and  we 
shall  live  there." 

This  news  was  a  source  of  the  greatest  pleas 
ure,  you  may  be  sure,  and  it  was  most  gratifying 
to  Muro,  because  he  admired  the  boys. 

"Lolo  will  like  to  work  in  the  shop  with  you. 
He  can  now  make  the  best  bows  in  the  tribe,  and 
he  makes  fine  arrows."  And  Lolo  exhibited  some 
of  his  handiwork,  which,  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  native  weapons,  was  really  creditable. 

Keturning  now  to  Unity,  we  shall  have  to  relate 
some  very  singular  things  which  should  be  men 
tioned,  as  it  shows  the  peculiar  beliefs  and  prac 
tices  of  the  natives. 

On  the  day  the  force  left  the  village  occurred 
the  first  death  in  Unity.  This  was  one  of  the 


PECULIAR   SAVAGE   BELIEFS      131 

warriors,  who  had  been  wounded  during  the  last 
fight  with  the  Tuolos  and  Illyas,  and  he  had  lin 
gered  along  until  he  finally  succumbed.  He  was 
one  of  the  best  men,  and  was  mourned  by  the 
Osagas,  of  which  he  was  a  member. 

Singularly,  another  of  the  same  tribe  died  the 
following  morning,  who  was  the  exact  opposite 
of  the  warrior.  Within  six  hours  of  the  death 


of  the  latter  his  friends  carried  him  away,  and 
he  was  buried.  The  warrior,  however,  was  not 
buried,  but,  instead,  his  body  was  carried  to  an 
open  place,  fully  a  half  mile  beyond  the  town,  and 
placed  on  a  hanging  cot  suspended  from  two  trees. 

The  boys  witnessed  the  ceremonies,  and  could 
not  understand  the  meaning  of  it. 

"Why  do  they  bury  one  so  soon  after  death,  and 
keep  the  other  for  several  days,  and  then  suspend 
his  body  in  the  air?"  asked  Tom. 


132  THE    CONQUEST 

The  Professor,  who  attended  both  ceremonies, 
responded :  "This  action  on  their  part  has  a  great 
significance.  In  most  savage  countries  there  is 
no  more  noble  thing  than  to  die  on  the  battlefield. 
Usually  those  who  die  in  that  way  are  not  accord 
ed  a  burial,  generally,  because,  in  case  such  a  war 
rior  belongs  to  a  defeated  party,  his  friends  do  not 
have  the  opportunity  to  inter  the  body. 

"Sir  Samuel  Baker,  in  his  book,  'The  Explora 
tions  on  the  White  Nile,'  relates  an  incident  where 
lie  came  to  a  village  which  had  two  graveyards,  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  road.  On  one  side  were  the 
scattered  bones  of  the  dead,  and  on  the  other  side 
mounds  to  indicate  burial  plots. 

"On  questioning  the  chief,  he  said:  'Yes;  our 
honored  dead  have  their  bones  exposed,  as  you 
see,  but  those  who  were  of  no  use  are  put  out  of 
sight  underground." 

"So  the  object  seemed  to  be  to  keep  them  where 
the  people  could  see  them?" 

"That  appears  to  be  the  reason  the  chief  gave  to 
Baker.  But  there  may  be  another  reason  for  this 
custom,  and  I  shall  get  Suros'  views  on  that  sub 
ject." 

"Isn't  there  some  religious  meaning  connected 
with  it,"  asked  Ealph. 

"I  do  not  think  so.  Here  is  Suros ;  let  us  ques 
tion  him." 

As  Suros  approached  the  Professor  said:  "I 
notice  that  one  has  been  put  underground  and  the 
other  not ;  why  do  they  observe  this  difference  ?" 

"We  cannot  honor  the  dead  by  allowing  them  to 
go  back  to  the  earth." 


PECULIAE   SAVAGE   BELIEFS      133 

"Why  will  it  do  any  good  to  honor  the  dead!" 

"If  we  did  not  honor  them,  no  one  would  want  to 
be  great.  No  one  would  like  to  be  a  great  war 
rior." 

"Is  that  the  only  reward  a  man  has,  to  be  hon 
ored  after  he  is  dead?" 

"What  other  reward  has  a  man?" 

"Do  you  not  think  man  will  live  hereafter?" 

"When?    After  he  dies?" 

"No;  how  can  man  live  after  he  dies,  and  his 
body  is  given  to  the  winds  or  to  the  earth?" 

"The  white  man  believes  he  will  live  again?" 

"Does  the  white  man  believe  the  yak  will  live 
again?" 

"No." 

"Well  the  yak  is  stronger  than  a  man,  and  if 
the  yak  cannot  live  again,  then  how  can  man,  who 
is  not  so  strong,  expect  to  do  so?" 

This  was  a  bit  of  philosophy  which  sounded  cu 
riously  to  the  boys,  and  the  Professor,  noticing  it, 
said:  "Singularly,  this  is  the  same  answer  which 
Sir  Samuel  Baker  obtained  from  certain  African 
tribes,  when  he  questioned  them  in  like  manner." 

But  the  Professor  was  interested  in  Suros'  state 
ment  that  they  would  not  permit  the  body  of  the 
honored  dead  to  go  back  to  the  earth,  and  he  con 
tinued  : 

"You  said  that  you  did  not  want  the  honored 
dead  to  go  back  to  the  earth.  When  you  give  his 
body  to  the  air,  does  it  not  go  back  to  the  earth?" 

"No ;  the  earth  and  the  air  are  entirely  different. 
The  Great  Spirit  is  in  the  air;  not  in  the  earth." 

"Then  you  give  him  to  the  Great  Spirit?" 


134  THE   CONQUEST 

"Yes;  the  Great  Spirit  takes  Ms  body." 

"Don't  you  believe  that  man  has  a  spirit  also!" 

"No ;  because  we  have  never  seen  it." 

"But  you  have  never  seen  the  Great  Spirit,  and 
yet  you  say  there  is  one." 

"We  have  seen  the  Great  Spirit.  He  comes  when 
it  rains,  and  we  can  see  him  and  hear  him.  We  can 
feel  the  wind  that  he  blows,  and  we  can  see  the 
great  light  which  he  makes  every  day,  and  the 
smaller  lights  at  his  villages  every  night." 

Two  things  were  thus  impressed  on  the  boys — 
namely,  that  they  considered  the  air  entirely  dis 
tinct  from  the  earth,  and  that  the  Great  Spirit 
made  the  thunder  and  lightning,  and  that  the  sun 
was  the  Spirit's  light  by  day,  and  the  moon  and 
stars  the  lights  of  his  villages  by  night. 

Notwithstanding  Suros'  limited  knowledge,  it 
must  be  said  that  in  his  further  talk  with  the  Pro 
fessor  he  showed  himself  to  be  possessed  of  qual 
ities  which  placed  him  far  above  the  common  run 
of  the  natives.  When  he  was  asked  why  honor 
was  such  a  prize  to  them,  he  answered: 

"Our  good  men  are  happy  to  know  that  they 
are  so  placed  that  the  Great  Spirit  can  take  them. 
What  greater  happiness  is  there  for  him?" 

"Don't  you  believe  that  trying  to  make  your  peo 
ple  happy  and  contented  will  please  the  Great 
Spirit  f 

"We  do  not  know  that.  We  do  not  know  why 
the  Great  Spirit  should  want  the  bodies  of  our 
great  warriors  and  good  men.  We  cannot  under 
stand  it." 


PECULIAR   SAVAGE   BELIEFS      135 

"The  white  man  believes  that  if  you  do  good  to 
your  fellow-man  it  will  please  the  Great  Spirit.* 

"That  may  be ;  but  I  do  not  see  why.  There  is 
no  reason  why  he  should  care  how  I  treat  my  peo 
ple.  That  is  not  what  he  is  up  there  for.  What 
good  will  it  do  him?  How  will  it  help  him?  I  do 
not  believe  many  of  the  things  I  have  been  told 
by  the  wise  men,  and  I  have  never  sacrificed  the 
captives  I  have  taken,  although  my  father  before 
me  did.  I  try  to  make  my  people  happy,  because 
when  I  see  the  Great  Spirit  giving  us  the  day  and 
the  bright  light  and  the  rain,  so  that  the  things 
about  us  may  grow,  it  seems  to  me  that  he  is  trying 
to  be  good  to  us,  and  I  believe  that  is  what  we 
should  do  to  each  other." 


CHAPTER  XI 

EXPEDITION  TO  SUBDUE  THE  ILLYAS 

THE  occupation  of  the  little  houses  by  the  fam 
ilies  of  the  natives  gave  the  boys  the  first  close 
view  of  the  people  in  their  home  lives.  They 
were  exceedingly  primitive.  The  leaf  of  the  plan 
tain  tree  was  the  greatest  boon  to  these  people, 
and  the  women  were  engaged  most  of  the  time 
in  removing  the  beautiful  fiber  and  in  laboriously 
weaving  cloth  from  the  strands. 

They  were  exceedingly  deft  in  this,  and  it  is 
singular  how  quickly  they  grasped  the  idea  of 
the  loom,  as  a  means  to  make  a  better  article. 
The  loom  used  by  them  was  a  very  crude  affair, 
and  an  idea  may  be  gained  of  its  form  by  the 
accompanying  illustration,  which  shows  the  fork 
of  a  tree  branch  (A),  which  serves  to  hold  the 
ends  of  the  warp  threads  (B).  To  weave  the 
goods,  the  woof  thread  (C)  is  threaded  back  and 
forth,  and  as  they  had  no  needles  for  the  pur 
pose,  a  thorn  was  used. 

This  thorn  had  no  eye,  but  its  large  end  was 
split,  and  the  end  of  the  thread  held  in  the  cleft 
thus  made.  Every  family  had  this  primitive 
loom,  and  the  whole  time,  outside  of  their  other 
household  duties,  was  given  to  the  weaving 
process. 

The  size  of  each  woven  piece  was  about  twelve 
by  fifteen  inches,  and  the  different  sections  were 
afterwards  sewn  together.  When  they  saw  the 

136 


TO   SUBDUE   THE   ILLYAS          137 

more  modern  looms  at  work  it  interested  them 
intensely,  and  the  Professor,  noticing  their  eager 
ness  and  natural  talents  in  this  direction,  con 
cluded  that  this  was  a  good  field  to  encourage 
the  industry. 

Most  of  the  looms  made  goods  thirty  inches 
wide,  and  it  was  not  long  before  several  of  the 
women  were  instructed  in  the  art  of  using  the 
looms.  Like  all  of  the  low  order  of  people,  they 


were  extremely  fond  of  colors,  and  that  is  one 
of  the  things  which  attracted  them  to  the  fabrics 
which  had  been  previously  made  and  exhibited. 
At  the  end  of  the  week  they  were  paid  for  their 
work,  the  same  as  the  others  who  were  employed. 
The  Professor  now  considered  it  time  to  make  a 
change  in  the  system  of  providing  supplies.  Un 
der  the  direction  of  Will,  a  store  was  set  up,  which 
had  on  hand  a  supply  of  vegetables  and  game. 
As  many  of  the  warriors  were  away,  and  the 
others  were  generally  employed  in  the  workshop 
and  fields,  some  systematic  effort  had  to  be  made 
to  gather  food  supplies  and  hunt. 


138  THE   CONQUEST 

By  offering  certain  sums  for  such  articles  the 
Professor  induced  individual  effort  in  that  direc 
tion.  The  provender  thus  provided  was  placed  on 
sale  in  the  store,  and  by  every  art  the  heads  of 
families  were  encouraged  to  purchase  those  things 
and  take  them  home  for  consumption  there. 

Gradually,  the  workers  were  made  to  under 
stand  that  a  certain  sum  would  be  expected  in  re 
turn  for  their  board,  so  that,  in  course  of  time, 
each  one  became  accustomed  to  know  the  values 
of  certain  things  all  of  which  were  measured  by 
the  coins  now  in  circulation. 

The  kitchen  utensils  were  very  limited  indeed. 
They  had  no  metal  vessels  of  any  kind.  Any  arti 
cle  of  that  kind  was  worth  a  fortune,  and  it  was 
only  the  chiefs  who  had  such  things,  and  they 
were  obtained  from  the  wrecks  of  vessels  which 
had  reached  them  from  time  to  time. 

Under  the  direction  of  the  Professor,  consider 
able  time  was  given  to  the  bringing  in  of  ores, 
particularly  iron,  and  the  process  of  recovering 
the  metals  from  the  ores  was  undertaken  by  a 
considerable  part  of  the  force. 

Charcoal  and  coke  were  turned  out,  as  a  pre 
liminary  to  the  smelting  of  the  ores,  and  as  fast 
as  the  metal  was  in  shape,  cooking  vessels  of  vari 
ous  sizes  were  manufactured,  and  these  were 
placed  on  sale  at  the  store.  It  was  thus  possible 
for  each  family  to  acquire  several  articles  of  this 
kind,  which  heretofore  had  been  considered  the 
most  valuable  of  all  treasures. 

Such  a  thing  as  a  chair  or  a  table  was  unknown 
on  the  island.  The  beds  were  made  of  the  native 


TO   SUBDUE   THE   ILLYAS          139 

grasses,  strewn  on  the  floor.  It  will  be  under 
stood,  therefore,  that  the  manner  of  furnishing 
the  houses  occupied  by  the  whites  was  a  mar 
vel  ;  and  when  the  families  of  the  various  workers 
moved  into  their  new  possessions,  it  naturally 
dawned  on  them  that  chairs  and  tables,  as  well 
as  properly  arranged  beds,  should  accompany 
such  luxury. 

The  Professor  was  at  the  homes  of  these  peo 
ple  daily,  suggesting  ideas  for  comfort  and  con 
venience.  One  of  the  things  which  interested  him 
most  was  the  subject  of  cleanliness.  People  liv 
ing  in  th"e  manner  to  which  they  were  accustomed, 
made  the  sanitary  part  of  the  domestic  arrange 
ment  an  exceedingly  difficult  problem. 

The  necessity  of  cleanliness  was  impressed  on 
them  very  forcibly  when,  later  on,  he  was  called 
to  administer  to  many  of  the  children,  who  were 
attacked  by  diseases,  brought  on  directly  by  care 
lessness  in  thoroughly  removing  all  dirt  and  decay 
ing  matter. 

To  a  certain  degree  the  natives  understood  this, 
and  the  subject  has  been  referred  to  previously, 
where  they  had  the  habit  of  anointing  their  bodies 
and  those  of  the  infants  with  various  oils,  which 
were  obnoxious  to  insects  and  germs. 

That  knowledge  made  the  task  of  using  disin 
fectants  much  easier  to  instill  in  their  minds.  It 
was  impressed  on  them  that  properly  caring  for 
the  home  was  a  daily  task,  and  must  not  be 
neglected. 

The  women  used  combs  made  from  the  fins  of 
fish.  These  were  constructed  in  the  following 


140  THE   CONQUEST 

manner :  The  entire  fin  was  removed,  and  the  bony 
structure  at  the  base  of  the  teeth  was  bound  be 
tween  two  strips  of  bamboo,  and  tied  around  by 
fibers,  as  shown.  The  whole  was  then  placed  in  a 
vessel  containing  boiling  water.  The  result  was 
that  when  taken  out  the  meat  of  the  fish,  being 
glue-like,  would  act  as  a  cement  to  hold  the  teeth 
in  place. 

Such  combs  are  anything  but  sanitary,  as  might 
be  surmised,  and  the  inhabitants  were  subject  to 


pests  arising  from  articles  so  made.  Their  only 
salvation  was,  in  fact,  the  daily  habit  of  using  oil, 
and,  from  a  sanitary  point  of  view,  there  was  noth 
ing  objectionable  to  this  excepting  the  odor  which 
naturally  followed,  due  to  the  oil  becoming  rancid, 
The  boys  then  began  to  make  combs  from  a  specie 
of  bamboo,  and  from  the  ironwood  tree. 

During  one  of  the  fishing  trips  the  boys  brought 
home  an  immense  turtle.  The  Professor's  eyes 
sparkled  when  he  saw  it. 

Will  related  their  experience  in  capturing  it. 
"Is  it  good  to  eat?"  he  asked. 
"Yes;  all  turtles  and  tortoises  are  good  to  eat." 
"What  is  the  difference  between  the  two?" 
"The  turtle  is  a  sea  animal,  and  the  tortoise 


TO   SUBDUE   THE   ILLYAS         141 

a  land  and  water  animal.  You  must  have  caught 
this  near  the  sea,  as  it  is  a  specie  of  turtle  called 
the  Testudo." 

"What  a  beautiful  mottled  top  it  has  1" 

"That  is  why  it  interested  me  so  much,"  replied 
the  Professor.  "You  now  have  something  that  is 
far  better  than  the  wood  for  making  combs  and 
other  like  articles." 

"Isn't  that  fine?  Will  it  be  difficult  to  make 
them  up  from  this?" 

"It  is  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world.  The 
outer  shell,  which  is  all  that  is  used,  is  put  into 
boiling  water,  and  this  softens  it  so  that  it  can 
be  worked  easily." 

"It  seems  singular  that  it  is  called  a  'tortoise' 
shell  if  the  land  animals  are  called  tortoises." 

"When  the  shell  first  became  a  matter  of  com 
merce,  it  was  supposed  that  the  turtle  and  the 
tortoise  were  the  same,  and  the  name  tortoise 
being  much  older  than  turtle,  the  former  appella 
tion  remained  in  designating  the  shell." 

The  day  and  night  of  festivities  of  John  and 
the  warriors,  at  the  Saboro  village,  was  ended, 
and  the  column  took  up  its  march  for  the  country; 
of  the  Illyas. 

Several  of  the  scouts,  sent  out  two  days  before, 
returned  during  the  night,  and  reported  that  there 
was  a  strong  force  directly  ahead  and  that  the 
lower  villages  were  also  sending  up  a  body  of 
men,  but  that  the  latter  were  still  two  days  away. 

Calling  Muro,  John  asked:  "What  is  the 
nature  of  the  country  to  the  extreme  south,  or 
next  to  the  seat" 


142  THE   CONQUEST 

"I  have  never  been  there,  but  it  is  elevated, 
and  is  a  fine  country.  One  of  my  men  has  been 
there,  and  he  may  be  able  to  tell  you  something 
about  it.  I  will  call  him." 

The  warrior  alluded  to  was  tall,  handsome 
and  fully  tattooed,  as  was  the  custom  with  the 
most  distinguished  of  the  Saboros. 

"Can  you  tell  me,"  asked  John,  "what  the  nature 
of  the  country  is  south  of  the  mountains,  and 
near  the  sea?" 

"It  is  the  country  of  the  wise  men  of  the  Blyas, 
They  will  not  allow  others  to  go  near  there." 

"Do  you  know  why?" 

"It  is  said  there  are  wonderful  things  there." 

"Do  you  know  whether  there  are  any  big  holes 
in  the  ground  there?" 

"Yes;  and  in  some  of  them  they  keep  their 
captives." 

"Do  they  sacrifice  their  captives  in  those 
places?" 

"No;  they  take  them  from  those  places  to  the 
villages." 

"At  what  times  do  they  make  the  sacrifices?" 

"When  the  night  is  dark." 

John  understood  from  this  that  the  sacrifices 
were  during  the  period  when  there  was  no  moon. 

"Why  do  you  suppose  that  they  wait  for  that 
time?"  asked  George. 

"Because  the  Great  Spirit  out  of  anger  has 
hidden  the  light  and  to  appease  him  the  sacri 
fices  are  offered  at  that  period.  This  is  one  of 
the  tales  that  the  wise  men  give  out  as  the  excuse 
for  the  ceremony." 


TO   SUBDUE   THE  ILLYAS         143 

John  had  another  motive  for  these  questions, 
as  will  appear  later  on.  The  main  Illyas  village 
was  far  to  the  north  of  the  caves  mentioned.  Be 
sides  the  main  one  were  three  others,  all  ranging 
along  the  western  base  of  the  mountain. 

"How  long  will  it  take  us,"  asked  John,  "to 
reach  the  main  village?" 

"Osaga  knows  about  that,  as  he  was  near  there, 
and  was  detained  for  several  weeks  before  he 
escaped." 

"I  had  forgotten  about  that."  He  was,  how 
ever,  at  this  time,  one  of  the  scouts,  and  when  he 
returned  later  in  the  evening,  said: 

"We  can  reach  there  in  two  days,  unless  we 
should  be  met  by  the  Illyas  on  the  way.  I  do 
not  think  they  will  retreat  without  making  a  show 
of  fight,  as  they  will  have  all  their  warriors  in 
the  field,  when  they  know  we  are  marching  against 
them." 

At  the  rate  they  were  going,  the  main  force  of 
the  enemy  would  be  reached  during  the  day,  un 
less  they  should  retreat.  The  opinion  of  both 
Uraso  and  Muro  was  that  they  would  not  permit 
too  close  approach  to  the  village  before  offering 
fight. 

The  entire  route  from  Unity,  and  through  the 
Saboro  country,  was  one  continual  stretch  of  im 
mense  undulating  plains,  covered  at  intervals 
with  magnificent  forests,  and  it  was  evident  that 
the  soil  was  rich  and  capable  of  yielding  any  prod 
ucts  in  profusion. 

The  weather,  too,  was  magnificent.  Indeed,  it 
was  at  a  time  of  the  year  when  there  were  few 


144  THE   CONQUEST 

storms,  the  moisture  being  sufficient  to  support 
the  growing  vegetation  and  keeping  it  a  beauti 
ful  green.  What  a  paradise  this  part  of  the  is 
land  would  be  made,  if  it  could  be  maintained  in 
peace ! 

The  march  was  a  continued  and  steady  one,  the 
warriors  appearing  happy  and  acted  as  though 
they  were  going  to  a  festival,  instead  of  to  war. 
Early  in  the  afternoon  the  advance  scouts  re 
ported  the  first  sight  of  the  savages,  but  only 
detached  bands,  which  indicated,  however,  that 
they  were  not  far  away. 

Several  hours  before  they  had  entered  the  111- 
yas'  country.  There  was  no  strict  dividing  line 
between  the  different  countries,  but  it  appeared 
to  be  tacitly  agreed  that  certain  water  courses, 
or  other  natural  lines,  marked  the  territorial  lim 
its  of  each. 

These  divisions  were  so  little  understood,  in 
fact,  by  either,  that  they  caused  frequent  dis 
putes.  A  party  from  one  tribe  in  hunting  would, 
incautiously,  venture  too  far,  and  if  the  other 
party  happened  to  be  near,  and  in  sufficient  force, 
would  attack  on  the  plea  that  the  territory  had 
been  invaded. 

This  was  a  matter  which  the  present  campaign 
would  settle,  because  the  Professor  saw  the  neces 
sity  of  accurately  prescribing  the  limits  held  by 
each  tribe. 

It  was  five  o'clock  in  the  evening  before  reports 
came  in  that  the  main  body  of  the  enemy  was 
in  sight.  John  went  forward  with  Uraso  and 
Muro,  fully  a  mile  beyond  the  main  force,  and 


TO   SUBDUE   THE   ILLYAS         145 

on  the  way  selected  a  good  camping  spot,  leav 
ing  several  there  to  order  the  main  body  to  en 
camp  when  they  arrived. 

With  the  scouts  now  returning,  and  which  were 
picked  up,  a  fairly  adequate  idea  was  obtained 
as  to  the  number,  which  was  variously  estimated 
at  two  hundred  and  fifty,  which  did  not  take  into 
consideration  the  warriors  from  the  other  vil 
lages,  because  they  now  had  knowledge  of  at  least 
one  party  from  the  south,  on  the  way  to  rein 
force  the  Illyas. 

John  gave  strict  orders  that  no  one  should 
fire  a  gun  during  the  night,  and  that  a  double 
line  of  guards  should  be  maintained.  The  course 
pursued  during  the  campaign  was  as  follows: 
Thirty  pickets  were  selected  for  the  wa.tch,  five 
from  each  tribe.  These  formed  fifteen  posts,  two 
warriors  being  at  each  post,  and  it  was  arranged 
that  the  two  should  be  of  different  tribes,  and  as 
all  were  in  supporting  distance  of  each  other,  in 
case  of  an  alarm,  one  of  the  two  watchers  would 
thus  be  in  a  position  to  quickly  alarm  the  camp. 

An  advance  set  of  pickets  was  also  thrown  out, 
under  the  personal  command  of  Muro,  to  watch 
the  enemies'  camp.  Fortunately,  there  was  no 
alarm  during  the  night.  Early  in  the  morning 
the  forces  were  put  in  line  for  approaching  the 
Illyas'  camp. 

When  the  first  advance  came  within  sight  of 
their  camp,  the  utmost  consternation  and  confu 
sion  resulted,  showing  how  carefully  John  had 
concealed  their  movements. 

Muro's  scouts  had  the  fortune  to  capture  one 


146  THE   CONQUEST 

of  the  Blyas,  who  was  evidently  one  of  the  hunt 
ers,  and  the  captive  was  brought  in  at  the  time 
when  some  of  his  own  men  had  advanced  uncau- 
tiously  too  far. 

He  was  brought  before  John  at  once,  who  ad 
dressed  him  as  follows: 

"Why  have  your  people  started  out  on  the  war 
path  against  us?" 

"Because  you  killed  our  warriors  in  the  last 
battle." 

It  is  singular  how  the  natives  in  all  their  inter 
views  of  like  nature,  always  found  it  convenient 
to  refer  to  the  last  and  most  immediate  act  aa 
a  particular  reason  for  their  enmity.  In  this  re 
spect  they  were  veritable  children. 

They  might  have  been,  as  they  were  in  this 
case,  the  original  aggressors,  but  if  an  attempt  is 
made  to  repay  them  the  original  cause  of  th$  strife 
is  forgotten,  and  the  last  act  only  is  considered. 
John  knew  it  would  be  of  no  use  to  argue  the 
matter  with  him. 

"You  may  go  back  to  your  chief  and  tell  him 
that  we  have  come  to  get  the  captives  he  has. 
You  must  tell  him  that  we  have  no  desire  to  injure 
him  or  his  people.  Tell  him  that  all  the  tribes 
are  now  united,  and  that  if  he  does  not  give  up 
the  white  people  and  all  others,  we  will  take  him 
and  his  villages,  and  give  his  lands  to  the  other 
tribes. 

"You  must  further  tell  him  that  we  must  have 
his  answer  at  once,  and  if  he  does  not  answer  by 
the  time  the  sun  is  above  us  (noon),  we  will  con 
sider  him  our  enemy,  and  shall  attack  him." 


TO   SUBDUE   THE   ILLYAS          147 

The  captive  received  full  instructions  from 
Uraso,  who  warned  him  that  if  he  failed  to  con 
vey  this  information  in  the  manner  given  it  would 
go  hard  with  him. 

John  went  forward  with  the  prisoner,  and  he 
was  released  within  sight  of  the  Illyas'  camp. 
The  enemy  was  at  that  time  in  great  commotion, 
as  they  were,  from  all  indications,  preparing  for 
defense. 

They  occupied  a  naturally  strong  position.  The 
camp  was  on  the  western  side  of  a  hill  and  at  the 
bottom  was  a  small  stream. 

Directly  behind  the  camp  was  a  heavy  forest, 
which,  in  case  of  retreat,  would  afford  them  shel 
ter.  There  was  a  bend  in  the  river,  where  the 
camp  was  located,  so  that  the  position  was  im 
pregnable  as  against  the  native  weapons. 

The  Illyas  were  not  counting  on  meeting  a  foe 
armed  with  guns  like  the  allies  possessed.  They 
did  not  conceive  how  their  enemies  could  possibly 
make  a  sufficient  number  of  guns  to  count  against 
their  numbers  and  their  skill. 

In  the  talks  which  John  had  with  Uraso  he 
learned  the  history  of  this  peculiar  tribe.  Orig 
inally  the  tribe  had  practical  sway  over  the  en 
tire  island.  They  were  bitter  and  vindictive,  and 
this  intense  feeling  was  that  which  acted  against 
them  in  the  end. 

The  result  was  that  in  times  past  a  constant 
tribal  warfare  was  in  evidence  among  the  heads 
of  the  leading  families.  The  Kurabus  and  the 
Tuolos  were  originally  Illyas,  or  offshoots  from 
this  great  tribe.  This  was  also  shown  by  the 


148  THE   CONQUEST 

characteristics  of  those  three  tribes,  and  by  their 
dress  as  well  as  language. 

John  had  noticed  that  the  Berees  were  the 
whitest  people  on  the  island,  and  that  the  O sagas 
and  Saboros  were  much  lighter  in  color  than  the 
other  tribes.  Uraso  confirmed  Suros'  statement 
to  the  Professor,  that  there  was  white  blood  in 
the  veins  of  many  of  the  people  of  these  three 
tribes,  brought  about  by  castaways  who  had  been 
adopted  by  the  people  in  earlier  times. 

The  Illyas  kept  themselves  aloof  from  the 
others,  excepting  the  Tuolos  and  Kurabus,  and 
these  three  tribes  were  the  only  ones  who  still 
adhered  to  the  custom  of  offering  up  captives  as 
sacrifices. 


CHAPTER   XH 

THE  PERILOUS  TRIP  OF  THE  WAGON 

AFFAIRS  at  Unity  were  moving  along  at  marvel 
ous  speed.  Suros,  chief  of  the  Berees,  announced 
to  the  Professor  that  he  did  not  intend  to  return 
to  his  country,  but  would  send  for  his  family  and 
the  families  of  all  his  chiefs.  This  was,  indeed,  a 
pleasant  surprise  for  the  Professor. 

Oma,  of  the  Brabos,  was  the  next  to  fall  into  line, 
and  we  have  already  stated  that  such  was  Muro's 
intention.  The  bringing  together  of  all  these  in 
terests,  to  form  one  common  family,  was  really 
the  intention  of  the  Professor,  and  it  was  now 
being  carried  out  without  any  suggestion  on  his 
part. 

Each  day  brought  to  the  village  accessions  from 
some  of  the  tribes,  mainly  the  women  and  children 
of  those  who  were  employed,  or  who  were  with 
John's  forces. 

Four  days  after  John's  departure  the  Profes 
sor  saw  one  of  the  Tuolos  approaching,  carrying 
an  infant,  with  his  wife  and  two  other  children. 
The  Professor  went  out  to  meet  them,  calling 
Will,  as  he  saw  they  were  in  a  famished  condi 
tion.  It  was  the  native  referred  to  previously, 
who  had  begged  permission  to  bring  his  family 
to  Unity. 

Several  of  the  little  cottages  had  been  com 
pleted,  and  the  surprise  of  the  Tuolo  and  his  wife 

149 


150  THE    CONQUEST 

was  complete  when  he  led  them  to  one  of  these 
homes,  and  installed  them  in  it. 

Food  was  brought,  and  the  native  cooks  ordered 
to  prepare  it  for  them  at  once.  The  act  so  as 
tonished  the  Tuolo  chief,  Marmo,  that  he  could 
not  express  himself.  For  a  day  he  sat  ponder 
ing.  The  Professor  noticed  the  act,  but  he  said 
nothing.  The  next  morning  Marmo  called,  and 
said: 

"I  can  see  why  the  White  Chief  told  me  it  was 
well  to  act  so  the  people  would  not  want  another 
chief." 

"But  I  am  not  acting  in  this  way  so  that  the 
people  will  want  to  keep  me  as  their  chief." 

This  reply  puzzled  him. 

"But  why  do  you  treat  my  people  in  this  way?" 

"Because  he  is  a  man  just  like  myself.  I  have 
no  right  to  treat  him  in  any  other  way." 

"But  he  is  only  a  ravoo  (common)  man." 

"Why  is  he  only  a  common  man?" 

"Because  he  is  not  a  warrior,  nor  were  his 
people  warriors  before  him." 

"But  he  is  a  man,  the  same  as  you  and  I  are. 
Because  he  is  not  a  warrior,  or  was  not  born  of 
some  one  who  was  a  warrior,  or  if  he  does  not 
belong  to  the  family  of  a  chief,  makes  no  differ 
ence  to  the  white  man.  His  children  may  become 
chiefs,  or  great  men,  and  if  we  show  them  that 
they  may  become  like  we  are,  it  will  make  all  of 
them  better,  and  it  will  not  injure  us." 

This  philosophy  was  too  deep  for  the  chieftain. 
He  could  not  comprehend  it,  nor  could  he  find 


PERILOUS   TRIP   OF   THE   WAGON    151 

words  to  express  his  opinions  of  the  new  light 
which  it  gave  him. 

"Is  that  why  you  teach  the  people  to  make  so 
many  things?" 

"No;  that  is  for  an  entirely  different  reason. 
We  teach  people  to  make  these  things  so  they 
may  be  able  to  help  themselves  and  make  their 
wives  and  children  happy.  We  try  to  teach  them 
that  it  is  wrong  to  be  idle.  To  let  them  know 
that  there  is  a  better  way  to  live  than  by  fighting 
each  other  or  injuring  their  neighbors." 

"But  why  do  you  act  so  kindly  to  one  of  my 
people  when  we  tried  to  kill  you?" 

"That  makes  no  difference  to  us  now.  You 
acted  that  way  because  you  did  not  know  any  bet 
ter.  You  would  not  try  to  injure  us  now,  would 
you ?  Do  you  think  that  man  would  be  my  enemy? 
When  he  tells  his  friends  what  I  have  done,  will 
they  be  my  enemy?" 

"These  things  are  all  so  new  to  me.  There  will 
be  no  more  Tuolos,  or  Osagas,  or  Berees." 

"Yes ;  there  will  be  the  same  tribes  always.  In 
the  white  man's  country  there  are  still  the  same 
tribes  in  the  different  countries.  They  love  to 
think  of  their  own  country  and  their  own  people, 
even  though  they  may  live  with  the  other  tribes, 
and  when  a  man  goes  from  one  tribe  to  live  with 
another,  the  people  protect  him  just  the  same  as 
though  he  was  one  of  them." 

The  Professor  was  not  yet  through  with  his 
lesson,  and  suggested  that  Marmo  should  accom 
pany  him.  They  wandered  through  the  town,  and 
called  at  the  cottage  of  the  newly  arrived  Tuolo. 

91 


152  THE   CONQUEST 

The  children  were  playing  about,  and  the  wife 
was  supremely  happy,  but  awed  when  the  Profes 
sor  and  chief  appeared. 

The  Professor  took  up  the  little  one  and  affec 
tionately  caressed  it,  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
mother.  She  knew  the  Chief  Marmo  would  not 
condescend  to  such  an  act;  but  to  think  that  the 
Great  White  Chief  should  do  such  a  thing  was 
something  beyond  her  comprehension. 

Marmo  looked  on  in  amazement.  It  was  an 
other  thing  which  was  unlike  any  teaching  or  be 
lief  that  he  had  ever  known,  that  it  made  a  power 
ful  impression  on  him. 

This  is  but  one  incident  in  the  history  of  the 
village  which  tended  to  instill  in  the  minds  of  the 
people,  the  cardinal  duty  of  man  to  man.  It  was 
a  practical  example,  and  the  knowledge  of  it  went 
from  family  to  family.  It  became  one  of  the  top 
ics  of  conversation  among  the  men.  Equal  and 
exact  justice  was  meted  out  to  each,  irrespective 
of  what  their  tribal  relations  might  be. 

In  the  absence  of  Harry  and  George,  Ealph  and 
Jim  had  charge  of  the  factory,  and  were  busy 
each  day  turning  out  plows  and  other  agricultural 
implements.  At  the  suggestion  of  the  Professor, 
eight  more  of  the  steers  had  been  trained  to  work, 
and  he  gathered  together  a  dozen  of  the  best  men, 
and  gave  instructions  to  secure  as  many  of  the 
yaks  as  could  be  found. 

He  offered  certain  sums  for  this  purpose.  It 
was  known  that  to  the  west,  and  north  of  the  great 
forest,  were  large  herds  running  wild.  The  pro 
posal  stirred  them  to  activity.  The  party  pre- 


PERILOUS   TRIP   OF   THE   WAGON    153 

pared  for  the  hunt,  and  in  this  were  assisted  by 
Blakely,  who  gave  them  many  timely  hints  as  to 
the  best  method  to  lasso  them. 

The  first  expedition  started  the  day  after  John 
left,  and  within  a  week  the  first  installment  of 
ten  animals  arrived,  and  they  had  returned  for 
more.  These  were  tamed  and  broken  to  work. 
The  scenes  about  the  town  were  assuming  the 
proportions  of  a  vast  beehive  of  the  most  earnest 
and  enthusiastic  workers  that  it  was  possible  to 
imagine. 

Fields  were  now  laid  out,  and  certain  money 
offers  made  for  the  production  of  seeds  of  vari 
ous  kinds.  Coffee-tree  shoots,  nutmeg  plants, 
cocoa  cuttings,  and  many  other  like  species  of 
vegetation  were  apportioned  to  the  newly  plowed 
fields. 

Every  kind  of  vegetable  known  to  the  island, 
and  which  now  grew  in  a  wild,  but  scattered,  state, 
was  sought  for,  and  distributed  in  small  patches 
over  the  plowed  area.  Fruit  trees  were  set  out, 
and  these  latter,  with  a  view  to  make  them  the 
home  sites  which  were  to  be  the  next  lines  to  be 
developed. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  there  was  enough  to 
tax  the  energies  of  Blakely  and  the  Professor, 
to  keep  the  laborers  employed,  and  prevent  any 
drones  from  getting  into  the  hive. 

When  the  captive  Illyas  which  John  had  sent 
with  the  ultimatum  did  not  return,  nor  did  the 
enemy  show  any  symptoms  of  complying  when 
the  sun  neared  midday,  it  was  concluded  that  the 


154  THE   CONQUEST 

only  plan  to  pursue  would  be  a  quick  and  a  sharp 
assault. 

The  moment  the  sun  reached  its  height,  John 
ordered  Muro  to  take  one  hundred  of  the  men  by 
a  detour  to  the  right,  and  Uraso  with  a  like  num 
ber  to  the  left. 

"Cross  the  stream  and  close  up  behind  them 
in  the  woods.  I  will  make  the  attack,  and  you 
remain  at  a  distance.  If  they  should  attempt  to 
retreat  I  will  follow  them  up  rapidly.  We  must, 
if  possible,  force  their  surrender." 

The  two  forces  were  off  promptly,  and  within 
a  half  hour  John  judged  that  they  must  be  in 
position.  The  Illyas  were  still  on  the  hill  in 
force,  apparently  not  suspecting  that  two  flanking 
columns  were  in  their  rear. 

As  John  gave  the  order  to  march  forward 
there  was  the  crack  of  a  half  dozen  guns  to  their 
right,  in  the  position  occupied  by  Muro's  force. 
This  startled  the  Illyas,  as  it  did  John.  The  lat 
ter  interpreted  this  at  once.  It  was,  undoubtedly, 
a  reinforcing  band  which  Muro  had  intercepted. 

This  was  indeed  the  case.  The  knowledge  of 
this  force  coming  to  their  assistance,  was  prob 
ably  the  reason  why  the  Illyas  were  so  defiant. 
Muro,  at  the  head  of  fifty  of  his  men,  charged 
the  band,  to  prevent  them  from  uniting,  but  at 
the  same  time  it  brought  down  on  him  a  large  por 
tion  of  the  Illyas.  Uraso,  suspecting  the  truth, 
and  knowing  that  the  excited  movement  of  the 
Illyas  indicated  a  rush  to  assist,  broke  through 
the  woods  and  thus  struck  them  on  their  left 
flank,  which  so  surprised  them  that  they  broke 


PERILOUS    TRIP    OF   THE   WAGON    155 

in  confusion  and  fled  before  John  and  the  main 
body  could  come  up. 

The  entire  Illyas  force  was  now  in  confusion. 
John  was  in  possession  of  their  camp,  and  Uraso's 
warriors  were  hurrying  through  the  dense  woods, 
so  that  between  the  three  forces,  a  number  were 
captured  in  the  effort  to  escape  to  the  east  and 
south. 

Within  an  hour,  not  an  Illyas  was  in  sight,  ex 
cept  those  captured,  but  the  main  force,  unfortu 
nately,  escaped.  The  wagons  were  brought  up, 
and  now  came  the  problem,  how  to  get  them 
through  the  forest,  without  making  too  much  of 
a  detour. 

Uraso  suggested  that  Stut  should  take  a  suffi 
cient  number  of  warriors  to  afford  protection,  and 
descend  the  stream  to  a  point  below  where  the 
country  was  clearer,  and  then  trail  to  the  east 
and  meet  the  main  column  five  miles  west  of  the 
main  village. 

The  pursuers,  under  the  leadership  of  John, 
followed  the  trails  of  the  disorganized  Illyas,  in 
the  hope  that  they  would  be  able  to  be  close  on 
their  heels  when  they  emerged  from  the  forest  four 
miles  beyond. 

They  found  this  forest  maze  the  most  remark 
able  of  any  wooded  area  on  the  island.  The  trees 
were  not  only  immense,  but  the  undergrowth  ex 
ceedingly  dense.  It  is  not  often  the  case  that  the 
two  growths  are  found  together,  and  it  would 
have  been  impossible  to  get  the  wagons  through 
the  mass. 

This  forest  was  in  reality  the  great  barrier, 


156  THE   CONQUEST 

which  kept  the  Elyas  in  such  a  protected  position 
against  the  inroads  of  the  other  tribes,  even 
though  they  should  have  combined,  and  they 
counted  on  this  bulwark  to  protect  them  in  the 
present  case. 

It  took  the  pursuing  force  over  three  hours  to 
push  its  way  through,  and  they  had  the  satisfac 
tion  of  seeing  the  main  body  of  the  Illyas  beyond, 
and  brought  together  in  a  compact  organization. 
As  soon  as  the  opening  was  reached,  they  halted 
for  the  noon  meal,  and  instructions  were  given 
to  follow  up  as  hurriedly  as  possible. 

"We  should  move  our  force  to  the  south,  and 
attack  them  from  that  side,"  said  John,  "for  the 
reason  that  their  only  hope  of  reinforcements  is 
from  that  quarter." 

The  villages  were  lying  along  the  base  of  the 
mountain  range,  the  general  altitude  of  the  great 
plain  being  fully  two  hundred  feet  higher  than 
the  other  level  portions  of  the  island.  The  moun 
tains  to  the  east,  while  not  high  as  mountains  go, 
were  by  far  the  greatest  of  any  on  the  island,  and 
John  was  anxious  to  know  their  character,  for  rea 
sons  heretofore  explained. 

In  two  hours  more  they  would  reach  the  vicin 
ity  of  the  main  village,  and  the  great  struggle  for 
the  mastery  would  begin.  In  the  distance  could 
be  seen  the  main  portion  of  the  town,  and  it  was 
far  more  imposing  than  any  other  in  the  island. 
There  was  more  or  less  a  mystery  about  the  place. 

Uraso  said:  "The  place  we  are  now  going  to 
is  the  oldest  village  in  the  country.  Many,  many 
years  ago  it  was  a  great  village,  and  had  big 


PERILOUS   TRIP   OF   THE   WAGON    157 

houses.  They  were  built  by  some  people  that  no 
one  knows,  but  they  were  not  built  to  live  in." 

"Do  you  know  what  they  are  like  ?"  asked  John. 

"Nobody  can  tell,  because  they  do  not  keep  cap 
tives  there,  and  only  take  them  to  that  place  for 
the  sacrifices." 

"How  do  you  know  that  the  place  has  the  won 
derful  buildings  you  speak  of?" 

"This  was  learned  from  the  only  captive  who 
ever  escaped  from  them  at  the  place.  I  was  kept 
at  the  village  to  the  north,  and  it  was  from  that 
place  I  escaped." 

As  the  village  was  neared  the  sight  of  the  build 
ings  astonished  John.  While  not  massive,  they 
were  of  a  type  entirely  distinct  from  the  native 
huts.  It  was  built  on  an  elevated  plateau  and 
amidst  most  magnificent  trees,  the  most  promi 
nent  of  which  were  the  great  redwoods. 

Some  little  indications  of  ground  cultivation 
were  found,  as  they  passed  the  deserted  huts  on 
their  way.  Small  patches  of  yam  and  cassava 
were  the  principal  vegetables  noticed. 

It  was  nearly  four  o'clock  before  they  crossed 
a  stream  of  water,  flowing  to  the  south,  and  be 
yond  which  a  good  glimpse  of  the  village  could 
be  seen.  John  surveyed  the  scene  and  was  aston 
ished  at  the  character  of  the  spot,  since  it  had 
evidently  been  chosen  by  design,  and  for  some 
particular  reason. 

Its  location  at  an  altitude  which  commanded  a 
view  to  the  north  and  south,  and  also  afforded 
a  view  to  the  west,  betokened  some  reason  not 
compatible  with  the  savage  idea  of  a  town.  All 


158  THE   CONQUEST 

villages  thus  far  found  were  close  to  streams, 
and  were  located  apparently  by  chance,  but  here 
was  a  town  which  was  more  like  a  civilized  place, 
since  it  was  so  located  that  it  afforded  the  finest 
opportunity  for  drainage. 

But  another  surprise  was  in  store  for  John. 
What  are  those  peculiarly  formed  hills  which  run 
to  the  right  and  left!"  he  asked. 

Muro  had  noticed  them,  but  was  unable  to  an 
swer. 

"I  have  heard,"  said  Uraso,  "that  they  have 
earth-houses  to  protect  the  town,  but  I  do  not 
know  how  they  are  made." 

This  information  was  sufficient  to  inform  John 
that  the  town  was  actually  provided  with  a  chain 
of  defensive  works,  and  this  greatly  added  to 
his  astonishment. 

"We  are  certainly  getting  at  the  heart  of  this 
mystery,"  he  said,  musingly,  as  Muro  came  up. 
The  latter  informed  him  that  they  had  captured 
two  Illyas  who  were  making  their  way  to  the 
village  from  the  south,  and  within  ten  minutes 
they  were  brought  before  him. 

John  questioned  them,  but  they  refused  to  im 
part  any  information.  The  direction  from  which 
they  had  come  occasioned  some  uneasiness  be 
cause  the  wagons  were  en  route  from  that  quar 
ter,  and  they  might  be  runners  to  the  main  village 
for  the  purpose  of  informing  the  chief  of  the  fact, 
or,  they  might  be  from  one  of  the  villages  announc 
ing  reinforcements. 

As  night  approached,  and  no  word  was  had 
from  the  force  with  the  wagon,  John  directed  Muro 


PEEILOUS   TEIP   OF   THE   WAGON    159 

to  take  twenty-five  of  the  best  men,  and  go  directly 
south  in  search  of  the  convoy. 

George  and  Harry  accompanied  the  teams,  and 
when  they  left  the  main  column  the  forest  was 
skirted  in  their  trip  southwardly.  It  was  known 
that  the  forest  was  less  dense  in  that  direction, 
and  after  traveling  thus  for  nearly  four  hours, 
the  men  delegated  to  beat  the  forest  to  the  east, 
announced  that  they  might  safely  turn  to  the  east, 
which  meant  two  hours  more  of  struggling  through 
a  country  which,  without  the  warriors  to  aid 
them,  would  have  been  impossible. 

Most  of  the  men  were  ahead  of  the  team  with 
their  bolos,  cutting  down  and  dragging  away  the 
trees  and  bushes,  and  thus  forming  a  trail  which 
would  allow  the  wagons  to  pass.  It  was  past 
six  in  the  evening  when  the  river  was  reached. 

In  order  to  gain  as  much  time  as  possible,  Stut 
and  the  boys  concluded  to  push  across,  and  move 
northwardly  along  the  eastern  bank,  as  it  was 
evident  the  eastern  shore  afforded  the  best  route. 

Before  the  plan  could  be  put  into  execution  a 
body  of  Illyas  appeared  in  force  before  them. 
They  hastily  drew  back,  and  after  consulting,  con 
cluded  to  proceed  north  along  the  western  bank. 

They  had  not  proceeded  a  quarter  of  a  mile, 
before  they  ran  into  an  ambush  of  Illyas,  and 
two  men  were  struck  by  arrows.  Stut  gave  the 
order  to  fire,  and  the  bush  was  cleared.  Imme 
diately  a  force  appeared  in  their  rear,  but  Stut 
advised  an  advance,  as  such  a  course  would  bring 
them  closer  to  relief. 

Another  mile  was  traversed,  but  the  first  les- 


160  THE   CONQUEST 

son  was  heeded,  and  the  enemy  did  not  come  close 
enough  to  enable  the  gnnmen  to  get  an  opportu 
nity  to  shoot.  But  now  an  unforeseen  obstacle 
presented  itself.  They  had  been  marching  along 
the  more  or  less  elevated  bank  of  the  stream,  and 
directly  in  their  path  was  a  stream  flowing  into 
the  main  one,  with  steep  and  rocky  sides,  so  pre 
cipitous  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  the 
wagons  to  cross  them,  heavily  laden  as  they  were. 

The  Illyas  appeared  in  force  behind  them,  and 
apparently  none  were  to  the  front,  thus  indicating 
that  they  did  not  believe  the  wagons  could  cross, 
and  in  this  they  were  right.  It  was  growing 
dark.  Harry  suggested  that  they  make  camp  and 
arrange  for  protection  during  the  night. 

This  was  done,  the  two  wagons  being  placed 
thirty  feet  apart,  and  the  fort  sections  were  used 
to  connect  the  rear  ends  of  the  wagons,  so  that 
a  U-shaped  fort  was  thus  provided,  the  open  end 
of  the  fort  being  toward  the  river,  which  was  the 
side  they  had  no  fear  of,  so  far  as  the  savages 
were  concerned. 

While  these  preparations  were  going  on  no  at 
tempt  was  made  to  attack  them.  "They  are 
either  waiting  for  morning,  or  for  reinforce 
ments,"  was  Stut's  comment. 

"Do  you  think  it  would  be  possible  to  get  a 
messenger  through  to  John?"  asked  George. 

"Yes ;  but  it  would  be  better  to  send  two." 

"We  can  easily  spare  them,"  responded  Harry, 
"and  you  had  better  select  them  at  once." 

Two  intelligent  warriors,  one  a  Saboro,  well 
known  to  Stut,  and  an  Osaga,  were  delegated  to 


PERILOUS   TRIP   OF   THE   WAGON    161 

run  the  risk,  and  they  started  to  the  north  along 
the  river. 

The  night  was  intensely  dark,  but  notwithstand 
ing  this  Muro  pushed  forward  to  the  south,  and 
the  utmost  speed,  under  those  conditions,  was 
not  more  than  a  mile  or  mile  and  a  half  an  hour. 

It  was  known  that  reinforcements  were  on  the 
way  from  the  south.  They  might  meet  such  a 
force,  and  the  utmost  caution  was  necessary.  It 
was  fortunate  that  the  two  messengers  from  Stut 
heard  Muro's  warriors,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
determining  who  they  were,  approached  closelyy 
and  made  themselves  known. 

This  intelligence  was  sufficient  for  Muro  to  act. 
The  scouts  guided  them  back,  and  as  it  was  begin 
ning  to  grow  light  the  cracks  of  several  guns  were 
sufficient  to  indicate  the  direction  of  the  wagons, 
and  the  fact  that  the  attack  had  begun. 

Muro  was  a  tactician.  The  scouts  stated  the 
situation,  with  the  impassible  ravine  to  the  north, 
and  the  attackers  to  the  south  of  their  position. 
His  force  was  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  river,  and 
moving  back  a  sufficient  distance  to  prevent  knowl 
edge  of  his  presence  from  reaching  the  Illyas, 
went  to  the  south,  and  crossed  the  river  in  their 
rear. 

The  attack  of  the  savages  was  in  force  against 
the  wagon,  and  the  spirited  cracks  of  the  guns 
showed  Muro  that  he  must  make  haste  if  he  would 
have  a  part  in  it. 

Harry  and  George  were  seasoned  fighters,  but 
in  this  case  they  were  entirely  in  the  dark  as  to 
the  numbers  which  opposed  them.  This  lack  of 


162  THE   CONQUEST 

knowledge  was  the  only  thing  which  gave  them 
any  concern.  They  knew  that  sooner  or  later 
John  would  rescue  them  in  force.  The  prohlem 
was  to  resist  and  gain  time. 

The  Illyas  had  heretofore  proven  themselves 
wonderful  fighters  and  remarkably  tenacious. 
This  attack  was  a  more  determined  one  than  they 
had  ever  witnessed.  There  was  no  cessation  in 
their  forward  advance,  and  they  were  most  skill 
ful  in  seeking  cover. 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other,  but  neither  spoke 
his  fears,  if  he  had  any;  to  say  the  least,  it  was 
the  most  businesslike  of  anything  which  they  had 
witnessed. 

Suddenly,  they  heard  the  noise  of  a  volley  be 
hind  the  Illyas,  and  the  latter  made  a  concerted 
rush  for  the  underbrush  to  the  west,  as  Muro, 
with  his  men,  sprang  forward  through  the  clear 
ing;  and  the  boys,  with  Stut,  sprang  from  the 
wagon  and  started  the  cheering,  followed  by  the 
warriors. 

Muro  rushed  up  and  embraced  Stut  and  the 
boys.  A  hurried  breakfast  was  prepared,  and  the 
fort  sections  replaced.  There  was  no  time  to  lose. 
They  must  get  back  to  John  and  be  prepared  to 
take  part  in  the  capture  of  the  great  village  of 
the  Illyas. 


CHAPTER   XIH 

THE   EEMAEKABLE   DISCOVERY   AT   BLAKELY'g   MOUN 
TAIN   HOME 

IT  was  the  custom  of  the  Professor  to  take  the 
boys  each  week  for  an  outing  in  some  direction 
from  Unity.  The  most  attractive  part  was  toward 
the  great  forest,  west  of  the  large  river.  Several 
boats  had  been  made,  which  were  used  principally 
for  fishing,  and  one  of  these  was  usually  taken. 
They  would  then  sail  down  the  little  branch 
stream,  on  which  the  town  was  located,  and  cross 
the  large  river. 

During  the  entire  time  they  were  at  the  village 
Blakely  had  not  gone  across  the  river,  although 
he  frequently  indicated  a  desire  to  do  so,  par 
ticularly  to  look  up  the  location  of  the  home  on 
the  hill  at  the  forest's  edge,  where  he  found  seclu 
sion  from  the  savages  for  nearly  nine  months. 

The  Professor  and  the  boys  insisted  on  his  ac 
companying  them  on  this  occasion,  and  having 
given  instructions  to  the  men,  they  manned  the 
large  boat  and  were  soon  on  the  western  shore  of 
the  river. 

The  large  quantity  of  driftwood,  which  was  in 
evidence  here,  as  elsewhere,  attracted  the  atten 
tion  of  Jim,  as  he  turned  to  the  Professor. 

"I  have  often  wondered  why  it  is  that  there  is 
so  much  driftwood  on  the  western  shore  of  this 
stream,  and  hardly  any  on  the  eastern  shore." 

163 


164  THE   CONQUEST 

Blakely,  Ms  attention  having  been  drawn  to  it, 
remarked  that  he  had  found  this  to  be  the  case 
:n  a  number  of  streams,  not  only  on  the  island,  but 
elsewhere. 

"That  is  a  singular  thing,"  replied  the  Profes 
sor.  "It  is  accounted  for  by  the  rotation  of  the 
earth,  which  is  from  west  to  east.  The  rotation 
of  the  earth  in  that  direction  also  accounts  for  the 
prevailing  trade  winds  which  are  from  the  east  to 
the  west." 

"In  what  way  should  the  rotation  of  the  earth 
cause  the  drift  to  move  westwardly?" 

"There  are  two  forces  which  act  on  a  free  ob 
ject  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  namely,  centrifu 
gal  and  centripetal.  The  first  named  is  that  ac 
tion  which  tends  to  throw  an  object  outwardly,  like 
dirt  flying  out  from  a  rapidly  moving  wheel ;  and 
the  latter  action  is  that  which  draws  inwardly. 
Thus  the  spokes  might  be  likened  to  centripetal 
force.  The  attraction  of  gravitation  in  the  earth 
is  the  centripetal  force,  and  its  rotation  produces 
the  centrifugal  force.  When  an  object,  like  a 
plumb  bob,  or  an  article  floating  on  the  water  is 
free  to  move,  it  is  found  to  lag  behind  the  move 
ment  of  the  earth  surface,  this  retarding  move 
ment  being  sufficient  to  cause  it  to  creep  to  the 
west,  with  the  result  you  have  noticed." 

The  hill  pointed  out  by  Blakely  was  fully  three 
miles  west  of  the  river.  The  four  boys,  Ralph, 
Tom,  Jim  and  Will,  with  Blakely  and  the  Profes 
sor,  all  armed  with  guns,  made  a  party  strong 
enough  to  enable  them  to  successfully  withstand 
the  attack  of  any  animal,  and  it  was  proposed  to 


REMARKABLE   DISCOVERY         165 

make  a  trip  through  a  portion  of  the  forest,  so  as 
to  get  some  idea  of  its  character. 

To  carry  out  this  plan,  their  course  was  directed 
to  the  west,  and  within  an  hour  and  a  half  were 
well  in  the  thick  of  the  wood.  The  first  thing  that 
attracted  the  attention  of  all  were  the  magnificent 
trees,  among  them  a  species  of  pitch  pine,  together 
with  immense  redwood  trees,  and  numerous  oak 
species  abounded. 

Before  they  had  penetrated  a  mile  the  first  ani 
mals  were  seen.  They  had  never  been  hunted,  as 
the  natives  kept  away  from  the  forest  fastnesses, 
and  it  was  singular  to  see  the  familiarity  of  the 
animals.  An  immense  panther,  or  tree  leopard, 
fascinated  the  boys,  and  they  maneuvered  to  get 
close  enough  for  a  shot.  He  was  very  wary,  how 
ever,  and  Blakely  and  the  Professor  kept  in  the 
background  while  the  boys  stalked  him  from  tree 
to  tree,  and  finally  Ralph  had  him  in  range  and 
fired. 

He  crashed  down  but  alighted  on  his  feet,  and 
without  waiting  for  any  explanations  bounded 
over  to  the  spot  where  Ralph  and  Will  were 
crouched  behind  a  fallen  tree.  Will  saw  the  move 
ment  and  called  to  Jim  and  Tom,  and  the  latter, 
taking  careful  aim,  fired,  without,  apparently, 
checking  the  animal. 

With  a  powerful  spring  he  landed  on  the  tree, 
not  five  feet  from  the  boys,  and  Jim  shot  the  mo 
ment  he  landed,  the  shot  taking  effect  in  the  left 
eye,  and  he  dropped  his  head  and  lay  still,  hang 
ing  over  the  fallen  tree. 

This  was  exciting,  while  it  lasted,  and  gave  them 


166 


THE    CONQUEST 


something  to  talk  about  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 
Blakely  dragged  the  animal  down,  and  Ralph  and 
Will,  trembling  as  they  were,  had  their  knives 
out  when  Blakely  commenced  to  skin  the  panther. 
It  was  a  fine  trophy,  made  doubly  valuable,  as  it 
had  been  their  first  attempt  to  secure  big  game. 


FIG.    16.    THE  MARMOSET 


The  boys  regretted  that  Angel  had  not  accom 
panied  them,  as  they  saw  numerous  orang-outan; 
and  here  for  the  first  time  they  came  across  whole 
tribes  of  monkeys,  particularly  the  marmoset,  an 
interesting  little  creature.  The  most  striking 
ones  were  the  proboscis  monkey,  the  face  being 
not  unlike  that  of  an  old  man  with  an  extremely 
long  nose,  with  whiskers  around  the  neck. 

Blakely  and  the  Professor  made  many  notes  of 
the  trees,  and  discussed  the  uses  to  which  they 


EEMAEKABLE   DISCOVEEY 


167 


might  be  put,  and  the  boys  had  their  eyes  open  for 
the  wonderful  display  of  animal  life  on  all  sides. 
It  was  fully  two  o'clock  before  their  steps  were 
turned  toward  the  north,  so  that  the  hill  could  be 
reached,  and  when  they  emerged  from  the  forest, 


FIG.  17.    PROBOSCIS  MONKEY 

Blakely  pointed  out  the  spot  and  the  best  way  to 
reach  it.  The  boys  went  forward  with  a  rush,  and 
mounted  the  hill,  but  while  they  searched  in  every 
direction  could  not  locate  the  rocky  recess  occupied 
by  Blakely. 

The  latter  came  up  smiling.    "I  told  the  Pro- 

92 


168  THE    CONQUEST 

fessor  you  would  have  some  trouble  in  finding  it. 
Look  directly  above  you." 

About  twenty  feet  from  where  they  stood  was 
a  projecting  rock,  and  to  the  left  of  it  another, 
extending  out  at  right  angles. 

"But  how  are  we  going  to  reach  it?"  asked 
Ealph. 

"Go  around  farther  to  the  right,  and  you  will 
find  a  vine.  I  used  that  as  a  ladder." 

Around  to  the  right  the  boys  scampered,  each 
trying  to  get  there  first.  There  was  no  vine  in 
sight.  Blakely  was  coming  up,  as  the  boys  turned 
back,  disappointed. 

"Not  there?"  he  inquired.  "It  ran  up  this  tree. 
What  is  this  ?  Some  one  has  cut  it  off  and  dragged 
it  up  to  the  shelf  above;  do  you  see  it  there?"  and 
Blakely  pointed  to  the  vine  stump,  hidden  by  the 
grass  and  weeds. 

The  boys  saw  the  plain  evidence  of  the  cuts. 

"This  is  decidedly  interesting,"  exclaimed 
Blakely,  as  he  turned  to  the  Professor.  "This  was 
done  since  I  was  here." 

The  only  way  to  reach  the  ledge  was  to  climb 
the  tree  and  try  to  drag  the  vine  from  the  ledge, 
and  Ralph  volunteered  to  do  this. 

It  was  not  much  of  a  task,  and  when  the  vine 
had  been  drawn  down  he  moved  out  on  the  limb 
and  easily  stepped  on  the  ledge  of  the  nearest 
rock,  and  then  drew  over  the  vine  so  the  boys  could 
readily  reach  the  main  ledge. 

Blakely  was  the  last  to  gain  the  top,  and  he  led 
the  way  around  the  first  projecting  rock.  The 
view  from  this  point  was  a  charming  one. 


EEMARKABLE   DISCOVERY         169 

"Look  to  the  east,"  cried  Ralph;  "see  Unity 
beyond;  isn't  this  fine?" 

The  boys  now  understood  why  this  was  a  de 
sirable  place  for  Blakely.  It  appeared  to  be  abso 
lutely  safe  from  either  animals  or  man. 

"How  did  you  ever  happen  to  find  this  place?" 
asked  Tom. 

"Simply  by  accident — the  fact  is,  I  stumbled  on 
it.  I  mean  that  literally.  You  see  there  is  only 
one  point  higher  than  this.  That  is  directly  above 
this  ledge.  I  weut  up  the  hill  from  the  forest 
side,  and  came  out  to  the  point,  and,  missing  my 
footing,  fell  down  to  this  ledge,  and  discovered  that 
the  only  way  I  could  get  out  was  by  the  vine  lad 
der." 

" What  is  that  ?"  exclaimed  Will,  springing  back, 
and  pointing  to  an  object  in  front 

Blakely  started  forward  like  a  shot,  and  moved 
around  the  main  point  from  which  Will  came. 
The  boys  followed.  Directly  ahead,  and  on  the 
ledge  in  front  of  the  recess  were  two  skele 
tons.  The  boys  were  shocked  at  the  sight,  and 
the  Professor  stopped  and  intently  examined 
them. 

"Some  one  made  this  his  home  after  I  left 
it,  that  is  sure.  Here  are  things  I  never  saw." 

"Was  this  your  gun?"  asked  Jim,  as  he  picked 
up  a  rusty  weapon. 

"Yes,"  replied  Blakely,  in  great  excitement. 
"But  how  did  it  get  here?  I  had  it  with  me  when 
I  was  captured  the  first  time." 

He  looked  at  the  Professor  in  amazement,  and 
then  began  a  minute  search  of  the  articles  scat- 


170 


THE   CONQUEST 


tered  about,  and  lying  in  the  little  coves  within 
the  main  recess.  Here  were  found  a  sextant,  sev 
eral  knives,  some  coins,  a  bunch  of  keys,  a  pack 
age  of  letters,  written  in  German,  a  revolver,  'but 
no  ammunition,  various  articles  of  clothing,  all  in 
the  last  stages  of  decay  and  eaten  with  holes  by 
insects. 
But  the  condition  of  the  skeletons  caused  the 


greatest  speculation.  They  were  lying  near  to 
gether,  and  there  was  no  indication  of  a  struggle 
between  them.  One  was  lying  with  the  head  rest 
ing  on  a  mass  of  molding  leaves,  and  this  was 
drawn  aside  and  examined. 

Here  was  the  first  real  clue.  A  bit  of  paper, 
evidently  a  page  from  a  scrap  book,  which  showed 
faint  traces  of  writing.  Parts  were  entirely  eaten 
away,  and  after  a  time  the  following  words  were 
deciphered : 


BEMARKABLE   DISCOVERY         171 

"Escaped  during  the  night  miles  wes 

tains  lyas  have  Rogers  right 

faithful 

(Signed)  roman" 

The  German  letters  contained  no  information, 
excepting  the  name  "Johan,"  to  which  they  were 
addressed,  and  were  signed,  "Matilda,"  all  dated 
during  the  year  1911. 

"One  of  these  men  was  a  white  or  Caucasian, 
and  the  other  was,  undoubtedly,  an  aborigine,  as 
the  skull  formation  clearly  indicates.  I  am  satis 
fied  that  this  one  was  a  native,"  remarked  the  Pro 
fessor,  after  he  had  made  an  extended  examina 
tion. 

"This  letter  may  be  an  interesting  one  to  de 
cipher,"  said  Blakely,  as  he  went  over  the  contents 
again  and  again.  "It  seems  to  me  that  the  part 
of  the  word  'lyas'  has  reference  to  the  'Illyas,'  and 
'tains7  is  part  of  the  word  'mountains.'  Probably, 
it  would  read,  if  properly  reconstructed,  Vest  of 
the  mountains.' " 

"Yes,  and  the  space  between  'night'  and  'miles' 
refers  to  the  number  of  miles,"  added  Ralph. 

"It  is  remarkable  that  we  should  find  evidences 
of  the  work  of  the  II lyas  at  the  extreme  west 
ern  part  of  the  island,  when  they  are  living 
near  the  eastern  border,"  remarked  the  Profes 
sor. 

"I  take  it,"  answered  Blakely,  "that  this  letter 
was  transmitted  to  the  man  here,  and  was  writ 
ten  by  some  one,  and  conveyed,  in  all  probability, 
by  this  native." 

"That  is  a  reasonable  supposition.    The  word 


172  THE   CONQUEST 

'faithful'  may  have  reference  to  him,"  responded 
the  Professor,  after  some  reflection. 

"Well,  we  can  do  no  more  than  give  them  a  de 
cent  burial,"  said  Blakely. 

"It  will  be  a  difficult  task  to  do  that,  as  we 
have  no  tolls,  and  it  would  be  necessary  to  carry 
the  bones  a  distance  in  order  to  inter  them.  If 
the  boys  will  gather  up  a  quantity  of  stones  we 
can  make  a  covering  for  them  against  the  wall, 
within  one  of  the  coves." 

This  suggestion  was  carried  out,  and  the  bones 
deposited  beneath  a  mound,  and  after  gathering 
up  the  various  articles  they  descended  the  vine 
ladder  and  made  a  hurried  trip  to  the  river. 

Unity  was  reached  as  it  was  growing  dark  to 
learn  that  two  messengers  from  John  had  reached 
them  during  their  absence,  detailing  the  sighting 
of  the  Illyas'  village,  which  was  estimated  to  be 
five  miles  west  of  the  mountains. 

It  was  singular  how  this  information  seemed  to 
supply  the  missing  word  in  the  mysterious  mes 
sage  found  with  the  skeleton  on  the  hill.  The  Pro 
fessor  at  once  made  a  copy  of  the  letter,  and  for 
warded  it  by  messenger  to  John.  In  the  letter  he 
detailed  the  information  of  the  finding  of  the  mes 
sage,  and  he  had  hopes  that  they  might  be  able 
to  find  some  traces  of  the  people  mentioned  in  the 
letter. 

While  awaiting  the  return  of  Muro,  John  made 
a  complete  examination  of  the  Illyas'  village,  en 
circling  it  to  get  its  full  position,  and  thus  enable 
him  to  devise  the  best  mode  to  attack,  if  it  should 
be  found  necessary  to  do  so. 


EEMAEKABLE   DISCOVERY         173 

He  was  astounded  to  note  the  character  of  the 
buildings.  They  had  been  the  work  of  white  men, 
it  was  evident. 

Muro,  with  the  boys,  and  the  wagons  came  in 
sight  before  ten  o'clock,  to  the  intense  relief  of 
John.  He  suspected  the  cause  of  the  delay. 

"We  had  a  lively  brush  with  them,  for  a  while," 
said  Harry,  "but  we  had  no  fear  at  any  time." 

"Harry  is  right  about  that,  but  I  want  to  tell 
you  we  have  a  different  class  of  fighters  to  deal 
with  than  anything  we  have  experienced  so  far," 
added  George.  "Why  our  fire  didn't  seem  to 
frighten  them  a  bit,  and  they  adopted  the  regular 
Indian  plan  of  getting  behind  trees  and  brush." 

"What  kind  of  a  town  is  that?"  asked  Harry, 
as  he  took  the  first  glimpse  of  the  place  through 
the  trees." 

"Something  different  in  that  line,  too,  as  well  as 
in  the  fighting,"  answered  John,  as  he  smiled  at 
the  question. 

"How  big  a  town  is  it?"  asked  George. 

"I  judge,  from  its  size,  that  there  must  be  fully 
a  thousand  natives  there,  but  they  are  keeping 
pretty  close.  Do  you  see  the  line  of  breastworks 
all  around  the  place?" 

The  boys  were  astonished  at  what  they  saw. 
No  wonder  the  other  tribes  hesitated  to  attack 
them. 

The  two  warriors  captured  by  Muro  were 
brought  before  John,  after  he  had  made  a  survey 
of  the  place,  and  by  the  aid  of  Uraso  one  of  them 
was  instructed  to  carry  information  as  to  their 
intention  to  the  Illyas. 


174  THE   CONQUEST 

This  was  to  the  effect  that  in  the  event  no  reply 
was  received  before  noon  no  other  effort  would 
be  made  to  open  communications.  It  was  distinct 
ly  impressed  on  the  warrior  that  the  Illyas  must 
give  up  all  the  captives,  and  that  an  agreement 
must  be  entered  into  by  them  not  to  leave  their 
own  boundaries  in  the  future,  and  John  also  of 
fered  protection  and  a  safe  return  of  any  messen 
ger  who  might  be  sent  back  with  the  answer. 

The  captive  was  released,  and,  bounding  for 
ward,  was  soon  within  the  line  of  earthworks 
which  surrounded  the  village.  The  message  gave 
a  full  two  hours  for  them  to  decide.  There  was 
not  a  sign  of  an  Illyas  until  near  the  time  limit, 
when  the  same  one  which  conveyed  their  message 
was  noticed  approaching  the  line  of  the  allies. 

He  came  directly  to  John,  and  conveyed  this  in 
formation  : 

"The  chiefs  do  not  intend  to  do  as  the  White 
Chief  says.  They  are  entitled  to  the  captives,  and 
intend  to  keep  them.  If  the  village  is  attacked  the 
white  chiefs  and  the  tribes  will  be  destroyed.  We 
do  not  fear  him  and  his  fire  weapons." 

John  motioned  to  the  warrior  to  depart.  For  a 
moment  he  looked  at  John  in  amazement.  Judg 
ing  the  actions  of  the  white  man  by  the  ethics  of 
the  savage,  such  a  message  would  have  meant  his 
death.  He  glanced  around  stealthily. 

Uraso  saw  why  he  hesitated,  and  remarked  to 
him :  "You  are  free  to  go.  No  one  will  injure  you, 
because  the  White  Chief  has  given  his  word  to 
protect  you.  He  is  not  like  the  Illyas.  He  does 
not  lie." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  SURPRISE  AND  CAPTURE  OF  THE  II^YAS*  STRONG 
HOLD 

JOHN  smiled,  as  he  saw  with  what  satisfaction 
Uraso  gave  him  this  parting  shot.  Still  he  hesi 
tated. 

Uraso  went  up  to  him,  and  he  started  back. 
"You  need  not  fear  me  because  we  will  keep  our 
word.  Say  to  your  chiefs  that  Uraso  tells  them 
they  are  fools.  The  Illyas  cannot  succeed.  They 
will  be  crushed  and  their  villages  taken.  Your 
village  is  surrounded,  and  you  cannot  get  aid  from 
your  other  villages.  Go  and  tell  them  that  we 
shall  not  again  ask  them  to  treat  with  us." 

This  address  assured  him  and  he  first  marched 
along  carefully,  and  soon  made  his  way  with  celer 
ity  to  the  village.  The  Illyas  were,  unquestion 
ably,  as  much  surprised  as  the  messenger  at  the 
treatment  he  had  received.  It  was  so  unlike  all 
former  experiences. 

During  John's  investigations  he  had  discovered 
that  the  approach  to  the  village  on  the  east  side 
offered  the  best  chance  for  a  rush,  as  the  character 
of  the  ground  was  better  suited  to  go  up  close  to 
the  line  of  works,  and  from  that  point  a  better 
view  was  obtained  of  the  interior  of  the  village. 

A  movement  during  the  daytime  would  disclose 
his  motives,  and  he  therefore  advised  Uraso  and 
Muro  of  his  plans,  and  suggested  that  as  they 

175 


176  THE   CONQUEST 

would  be  able  to  mass  the  troops  better  during 
the  night,  the  attack  should  be  delayed  until  early 
morning. 

"During  the  day  we  will  make  a  great  show  of 
putting  up  a  line  of  works  to  deceive  them  into  the 
idea  that  we  intend  to  attack  from  this  side.  Dur 
ing  the  early  morning  we  will  take  three-fourths 
of  the  force  and  steal  around  to  the  east,  and 
attack  them  with  a  rush." 

"But  suppose  they  rush  out  in  this  direction?" 
asked  Muro. 

"We  must  keep  a  sufficient  force  here  to  hold 
them  in  check,  and,  if  necessary,  to  rush  in  from 
this  quarter ;  and  I  would  like  to  have  you  hold  the 
ones  left  for  that  purpose." 

Muro  was  delighted  at  the  position  assigned 
him,  and  thought  he  saw  the  slightest  bit  of  feel 
ing  on  the  part  of  Uraso ;  but  this  was  soon  quelled 
when  John  took  Uraso  aside  and  said:  "I  want 
you  with  me,  as  you  know  how  to  handle  and  direct 
the  men." 

"I  have  no  right  to  feel  offended  because  you 
have  given  Muro  this  post.  He  is  the  best  man." 

"He  is  no  better  than  you,  but  you  are  better 
than  he  for  the  position  required  when  the  charge 
is  made." 

This  was,  really,  true.  John  knew  the  capacities 
of  each.  Muro  was  a  better  tactician,  but  Uraso 
had  a  much  better  hold  on  the  affections  of  the 
warriors,  and  he  was  a  fearless  and  intrepid 
fighter. 

The  boys  could  not  help  admiring  the  fine  situ- 


CAPTURE  OP  THE  STRONGHOLD    177 

ation  of  the  village,  and  the  imposing  appearance 
of  the  town. 

"See  that  building  facing  this  way?  It  has  pil 
lars  different  from  the  building  to  the  left.  Why 
do  you  suppose  they  made  them  unlike?"  was 
George's  query,  as  they  sat  in  the  wagon  with 
John  during  the  afternoon  waiting  for  night  to 
come. 

"I  suppose  they  wanted  to  put  in  the  different 
kinds  of  architecture,  simply  as  a  freak,  or  for 
some  other  purpose  that  I  have  not  yet  settled 
in  my  mind.  If  I  am  not  mistaken  there  are  at 
least  three  different  orders  of  architecture  repre 
sented  in  the  buildings.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
town  you  can  see  another  building,  somewhat 
smaller  than  the  one  to  the  left,  which  has  still 
different  columns." 

"I  imagine  the  one  fronting  us  is  the  main  build 
ing.  What  order  does  that  belong  to?" 

"That  is  a  Doric  front.  It  had  its  origin  in  the 
log  hut,  which  was  called  Dorus." 

"How  many  kinds  of  architecture  are  there?" 

"There  are  five  distinct  orders,  as  they  are 
called." 

"What  are  those  besides  the  Doric?" 

"The  Ionic,  the  Corinthian,  the  Tuscan  and  the 
Composite." 

"What  is  that  building  to  the  left?" 

"That  is  distinctly  Ionic." 

"I  don't  see  much  difference  from  the  Doric," 
remarked  Harry. 

"The  distinction  is  very  marked.    The  Ionic  is 


178  THE   CONQUEST 

proportioned  to  the  dimensions  of  a  man,  and  has 
the  delicacy  of  the  human  figure." 

"Yes;  I  can  see  that  now.  Has  the  proportion 
anything  to  do  with  the  order?" 

"The  Tuscan  is  distinguished  by  the  fact  that 
the  column  is  usually  made  seven  times  the  diam 
eter  of  the  lower  part  of  the  shaft  in  height." 

"But  I  notice  that  the  ones  shown  in  the  two 
buildings  don't  appear  to  be  very  much  different 
in  proportions." 

"No,  for  the  reason  that  the  distinctive  features 
between  the  Doric,  Ionic  and  Corinthian  pertain 
to  the  capitals.  Notice  how  exceedingly  simple  the 
Doric  is.  I  am  sorry  there  are  not  other  examples 
present,  but  I  shall  make  some  sketches  to  show 
the  differences  which  are  marked." 

"I  have  heard  more  about  the  Corinthian  than 
any  other  kind." 

"That  order  is  the  most  beautiful  of  all,  and  for 
that  reason  is  so  frequently  referred  to  by  writers. 
It  is  designed  to  represent  the  delicacy  of  a  young 
girl.  The  capital  is  the  most  ornamental  of  all 
the  orders,  and  it  is  also  larger  and  much  more 
showy." 

"But  you  have  not  yet  described  the  Compo 
site." 

"The  Composite  or  Roman,  is  the  Ionic  grafted 
on  the  Corinthian.  From  this  you  will  see  that 
not  only  the  general  form,  but  also  the  proportion 
and  the  ornamentation,  go  to  make  up  the  various 
orders.  To  illustrate :  The  Ionic  has,  as  one  fea 
ture,  two  scroll-like  ornaments,  called  volutes,  and 
it  has  more  moldings  and  is  much  more  slender 


CAPTURE   OF   THE   STEONGHOLD    179 

than  the  Doric.  To  make  the  Composite  there  is 
borrowed  the  quarter  round  molding  (A)  from  the 
Tuscan;  the  leaves  (B)  from  the  Corinthian,  and 
the  volutes  (C)  from  the  Ionic." 

During  the  night  all  preparations  were  made 
for  a  quick  transfer  of  the  main  force  to  the  east. 


. 19. 


Corinthian. 
Orde?'6  Qf  </lrc?iftecturc,. 


Works  were  thrown  up  very  ostentatiously  during 
the  afternoon,  in  their  position  on  the  west  of  the 
village,  and  it  was  obvious  to  the  trained  eye  of 
John,  who  was  constantly  observing  the  movement 
in  the  village,  that  they  were  bringing  the  war 
riors  to  the  side  facing  these  preparations. 

John,  together  with  Muro  and  Uraso,  crept  up 


180  THE   CONQUEST 

close  to  the  line  of  breastworks,  during  the  night, 
and  satisfied  themselves  the  Illyas  were  deceived 
as  to  the  point  of  attack. 

Shortly  before  four  in  the  morning  the  warriors 
marched  out,  making  a  wide  detour  to  the  right, 
and  within  an  hour  were  close  to  the  east  line,  and 
carefully  concealed.  The  plan  was  for  the  men 
under  Muro  to  commence  the  attack,  as  soon  as  it 
was  light  enough  to  see  plainly,  and  the  firing  of 
four  guns  was  to  be  the  order  for  the  rush  on  the 
part  of  the  main  force. 

All  awaited  the  signal  with  impatience.  Soon 
the  firing  was  heard,  and  instantaneously,  as 
though  expecting  it,  the  Illyas  were  seen  rushing 
through  the  village  to  the  western  line. 

John  gave  the  word.  To  approach  close  to  the 
breastworks  without  firing  a  gun,  and  not  to  dis 
charge  a  single  piece  until  they  were  well  within 
the  fortified  line. 

The  entire  force  moved  forward  at  the  shots. 
The  line  of  entrenchments  was  reached,  and  John, 
with  Uraso  by  his  side,  was  the  first  to  leap  over. 
They  halted  fifty  feet  beyond  the  ridge,  to  allow 
the  warriors  to  come  in  and  form  the  line,  those 
having  the  guns  in  front. 

With  a  shout,  the  allies  bounded  forward,  with 
holding  their  fire  until  the  command  should  be 
given.  The  Illyas  up  to  this  time  were  principally 
arranged  along  the  western  wall,  discharging  their 
arrows  at  the  force  under  Muro. 

The  appearance  of  the  allies  within  the  walls 
was  such  a  terrible  surprise  that  all  semblance  of 


CAPTURE   OF   THE   STRONGHOLD    181 

order  was  lost  in  their  ranks.  They  began  to  scat 
ter.  Uraso  shouted  out  in  stentorian  tones : 

"Throw  down  your  arms,  or  we  will  fire.  Sur 
render  and  you  will  not  be  killed." 

John  and  the  front  line  were  now  alongside  of 
the  second  building,  the  one  described  by  him  as 
having  the  columns  of  the  Ionic  order,  which  had 
interested  the  boys  so  much. 

Notwithstanding  the  excitement  of  the  moment, 
Harry  could  not  help  looking  at  the  building  with 
its  tawdry  and  crumbling  columns,  and  in  doing  so 
espied  a  half  dozen  peculiarly  garbed  Illyas  rush 
ing  out  and  attempting  to  escape  to  the  north  along 
the  narrow  street. 

Calling  a  dozen  warriors,  he,  with  George,  made 
a  rush  after  the  escaping  fugitives,  and  before  the 
limit  of  the  village  was  reached  they  were  sur 
rounded  and  carried  back. 

The  Illy  as  warriors  were  now  in  a  panic.  There 
seemed  to  be  no  one  to  order  a  surrender  or  a  re 
treat.  John  ordered  Uraso  to  have  his  men  spread 
out  to  prevent  escape  in  either  direction,  and  as 
he  turned  to  execute  the  order,  Harry  and  George 
returned  with  the  prisoners. 

At  the  sight  of  the  captives  Uraso  shouted  the 
order  to  his  men,  and  quickly  turning  to  John, 
who  was  slightly  in  the  advance,  cried  out:  "Here 
are  the  chief  and  his  principal  advisers." 

John  turned  to  look  and  noticed  that  they  were 
surrounded  by  the  men  in  charge  of  Harry  and 
George. 

"Good  work,"  he  said.     "Demand  that  he  tell 


182  THE    CONQUEST 

his  men  to  surrender."  And  Uraso  repeated  the 
message. 

The  chief  saw  the  situation,  but  refused  to  give 
the  order. 

"Then  we  shall  have  to  kill  them,  and  unless 
you  surrender  we  shall  attack  at  once." 

He  had  hardly  finished  the  words  when  Muro, 
seeing  the  condition  of  affairs,  left  their  fortress, 
and  rushing  forward  scaled  the  low  entrenchments, 
directing  a  volley  into  the  now  thoroughly  dis 
organized  and  excited  warriors.  The  entire  body 
of  Illyas  had  seen  the  capture  of  their  chiefs. 

The  appearance  of  the  chiefs  at  the  head  of  the 
column  commanded  by  John  made  his  position 
safe  from  attack.  Whether  the  chief  refused  to 
comply  with  Uraso's  demand  from  stubbornness, 
or  because  he  was  paralyzed  at  the  sudden  change3 
from  his  fancied  security,  was  not  apparent  at  the 
time.' 

The  warriors  now  advanced  with  guns  ready  for 
a  volley,  and  the  chief  saw  that  resistance  was 
useless.  He  held  up  his  hand  as  a  signal.  John 
rushed  forward  toward  the  oncoming  warriors 
led  by  Muro,  and  the  latter,  seeing  the  chief  in  the 
hands  of  Uraso,  ordered  his  men  to  halt. 

Meanwhile  the  forces  under  Uraso  had  spread 
out  and  were  approaching  the  halting  warriors, 
who,  one  by  one,  threw  down  their  bows,  and,  as 
they  did  so,  were  marched  to  the  open  central  part 
of  the  village  and  surrounded  by  the  men  led  by 
Muro  on  one  side  and  Uraso  on  the  other.  John 
rushed  back  to  the  cordon  surrounding  the  chiefs. 


CAPTUBE  OF   THE  STRONGHOLD    183 

Up  to  this  time  not  the  sign  of  a  woman  or  a 
child  had  been  seen.  But  when  order  was  finally 
restored  and  the  defenseless  warriors  were  herded 
together  as  compactly  as  possible,  the  huts  sur 
rounding  the  main  buildings  were  opened,  as  by 
magic,  and  the  women  poured  forth  wailing  and 
shrieking. 

It  was  bedlam  let  loose.  They  pictured  all  the 
terrors  of  captivity.  They  knew  what  it  meant. 
They  passed  around  the  'cordon  beating  their 
breasts,  and  shrieking  like  demoniacs.  John,  mo 
tioning  to  Muro  and  Uraso,  stepped  aside,  and 
ordered  the  chiefs  to  follow. 

"This  is  the  building  they  came  out  of,"  said 
George  quietly  to  John. 

"Then  it  will  be  a  good  place  to  hold  the  con 
ference.  Uraso,  instruct  your  men  not  to  allow 
anyone  to  leave  his  place  within  the  circle,  and  then 
attend  the  conference  with  us." 

The  guards  followed  John  as  he  entered  the 
building.  The  boys  were  eager  to  see  the  interior. 
Once  within  they  saw  a  dozen  women  and  twice 
that  number  of  children  huddled  together  in  one 
of  the  rooms.  The  entrance  from  the  main  door  in 
front  led  directly  into  a  hall,  and  at  the  rear  end 
of  the  hall  was  a  large  room  the  entire  width  of 
the  building. 

Several  smaller  rooms  were  on  each  side  of  the 
hall.  It  was,  to  all  appearance,  arranged  like  an 
American  or  European  dwelling,  the  entire  inte 
rior  being  finished  in  wood,  but  in  a  terribly  dilapi 
dated  condition. 

03 


184  THE   CONQUEST 

The  surprise  was  still  greater  when  they  found 
in  the  interior  of  the  great  room  a  number  of  arti 
cles  of  furniture,  such  as  chairs,  tables,  settees, 
and  articles  which,  in  their  younger  days,  might 
have  been  rugs.  Parts  of  bedsteads  were  littered 
around,  broken  articles  of  furniture  were  scattered 
here  and  there,  and  everywhere  the  place  was  lav 
ish  with  dirt. 

The  boys  had  seen  many  native  places  where 
filth  had  accumulated,  but  the  atmosphere  seemed 
to  fairly  reek.  It  appeared  so  to  the  boys,  who  had 
lived  so  much  in  the  open,  and  who  had  such  vivid 
imaginations  that  the  wrecked  condition  of  the 
interior  suggested  a  worse  atmosphere  than  there 
really  was. 

It  was  not  close  or  confined,  that  was  certain; 
for  the  places  which  once,  evidently,  had  windows, 
did  not  contain  even  the  suggestion  of  glass.  It 
was  one  mass  of  broken,  misplaced,  jumbled  up 
belongings,  that  would  require  the  rebus  manager 
of  a  magazine  to  assemble  in  order. 

When  Uraso  returned,  and  the  chiefs  were 
placed  before  them,  the  boys  had  an  opportunity 
to  study  the  famous  chief  of  the  Illyas.  They 
took  occasion  to  compare  him  with  the  others,  for 
the  boys  now  knew  all  of  them. 

He  was  a  man,  probably  sixty  years  of  age, 
with  the  most  curious  headdress,  which  was 
worked  to  imitate,  somewhat,  the  crown,  to  which 
his  position  entitled  him.  He  wore  a  brightly  col 
ored  mantle,  if  it  could  be  called  such,  for  it  was 
simply  thrown  over  one  shoulder,  and  its  pendant 


CAPTURE   OF   THE  STRONGHOLD    185 

ends  were  bound  to  the  waist  by  a  wide 
girdle. 

He  wore  short  trousers,  or  pantalets,  and  Harry 
could  hardly  keep  from  laughing,  as  George  sug 
gested  that  he  was  ultra-English  in  the  way  his 
trousers  were  rolled  up.  He  had  the  face  of  a 
man  of  authority.  His  every  action  and  look  be 
tokened  one  who  knew  his  authority,  and  the  first 
question,  together  with  the  imperious  manner  of 
uttering  it,  indicated  that  he  was  a  king,  and  he 
knew  it. 

He  looked  at  Uraso  and  Muro,  both  chiefs,  and 
equal  to  him  in  rank.  He  did  it  with  such  an 
imperious  air  as  plainly  indicated  that  he  con 
sidered  them  his  inferiors.  Uraso  and  Muro  stood 
there,  with  arms  folded,  dignified,  and  returned 
his  gaze  with  a  dignity  that  won  the  admiration 
of  the  boys. 

"I  wonder  how  Uraso  and  Muro  feel  now,  when 
they  have  that  old  devil  at  their  mercy?"  George 
whispered  to  Harry. 

When  the  circle  had  been  arranged  the  chief, 
Oroto,  addressed  John  in  this  terse  manner: 

"What  do  you  want!" 

The  question  came  like  a  shot.  It  was  the  first 
word  he  had  said.  Neither  of  the  others  had  asked 
for  information,  nor  had  they  deigned  to  notice 
him,  as  they  were  marching  to  the  council  cham 
ber.  This  neglect  on  the  part  of  Muro  and  Uraso 
may  have  nettled  him.  The  attitude  of  the  chiefs 
plainly  irritated  him. 


188  THE   CONQUEST 

It  is  well  known  that  people  of  this  kind  are 
very  sensitive  to  slights,  or  what  they  consider  so. 
It  is  just  as  likely  that  the  two  chiefs  purposely 
neglected  him  in  that  manner  to  make  the  humilia 
tion  the  more  complete. 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE   KESCUB    OP    FIVE    CAPTIVES 

THE  question  for  the  moment  nettled  John. 
Here  was  a  prisoner,  powerless  in  his  hands,  im 
periously  demanding  of  his  captors  what  they 
wanted.  It  may  not  have  occurred  to  him  that 
such  a  question  was  out  of  place. 

John  drew  himself  up,  and  with  that  piercing 
glance  which  he  could  give,  leaned  forward,  and 
slowly,  but  with  terrible  emphasis,  answered: 
"Nothing." 

It  was  now  the  chief's  turn  to  show  a  look  of 
surprise.  He  looked  at  John,  and  his  eyes  wan 
dered  to  Uraso  and  Muro.  Neither  indicated  the 
slightest  curiosity  at  the  answer.  Not  another 
word  was  said  as  John  kept  his  eye  on  the  chief. 

Then  seeing  that  he  had  a  different  kind  of 
creature  to  deal  with  than  any  he  had  heretofore 
met,  addressed  John  in  an  entirely  different  tone 
of  voice: 

"Why  have  you  captured  me  and  my  warriors, 
and  why  do  you  intend  to  destroy  my  village  and 
take  my  women  and  children?" 

"Because  that  is  what  you  have  been  doing  all 
your  life.  We  do  not  ask  you  to  give  us  anything. 
We  have  taken  everything  you  have  and  shall  not 
ask  you  for  permission  in  anything  we  do.  We 
have  no  desire  to  injure  you  or  your  people,  and 
whether  we  shall  do  so  will  depend  on  your  ao- 

187 


188  THE    CONQUEST 

tion.  If  you  will  give  us  certain  information  it 
may  make  it  easier  for  you,  but  if  you  do  not  tell 
us  it  will  go  hard  with  you." 

"I  am  ready  to  listen." 

"Did  you  receive  the  messenger  I  sent  you  three 
days  ago?" 

"Yes." 

"What  did  he  tell  you?" 

"That  you  intended  to  kill  me  and  my  people." 

"Did  he  not  tell  you  that  we  did  not  want  war, 
but  peace,  but  that  you  must  give  up  the  captives 
you  had?" 

"No." 

"Send  out  for  that  warrior,"  John  ordered,  as 
he  glanced  at  Oroto. 

Muro  accompanied  one  of  the  sub-chiefs,  and 
in  a  few  moments  returned  with  him.  He  came 
in  with  face  hanging  down. 

He  was  placed  before  John.  "Why  did  you 
lie  to  the  chief?" 

The  savage  was  mute.  He  cast  an  appealing 
glance  at  his  chief,  but  the  latter  did  not  notice 
him. 

Addressing  Uraso,  John  said :  "Take  this  man 
out  and  beat  him.  He  must  be  punished  for 
lying." 

George  called  in  several  of  the  warriors,  who 
were  instructed  to  carry  out  the  decree.  In  the 
meantime  Uraso  called  John  aside,  and  stated 
that  the  poor  fellow  had  undoubtedly  told  the 
truth,  but  the  chief  had  lied. 

"I  suspected  that,"  answered  John.  "I  do  not 
want  the  man  beaten,  so  that  you  may  go  and 


EESCtTE   OF    FIVE   CAPTIVES       189 

stop  the  execution  of  it,  but  do  not  let  the  chief 
know  that  the  order  was  not  carried  out." 

"Did  you  get  a  second  message  from  me  yester 
day  through  one  of  your  own  warriors  ?" 

"Yes." 

"What  did  he  tell  you?" 

"He  said  that  you  had  declared  war  against 
me  and  my  people  and  would  kill  all  of  us  and 
iake  our  women  and  children  into  captivity." 

"Did  he  not  tell  you  that  we  came  to  make  terms 
of  friendship,  and  that  all  we  wanted  was  the 
captives  which  you  wrongfully  held?" 

"No." 

"Bring  in  that  warrior." 

Uraso  went  out  with  one  of  the  sub-chiefs,  and 
when  he  appeared  addressed  him  sharply: 

"Why  did  you  lie  to  your  chief,  and  not  tell 
him  what  I  told  you?  Answer  me." 

The  chief  merely  glanced  at  the  wretch,  and 
the  latter  bowed  his  head.  The  question  was  re 
peated,  and  he  was  told  that  he  would  be  pro 
tected  against  the  fury  of  his  chief  if  he  would 
tell  the  truth.  As  he  was  about  to  reply  the 
chief  merely  glanced  at  him,  and  his  lips  were 
sealed. 

"Take  him  out  and  beat  him  as  severely  as  you 
have  beaten  the  other.  These  people  must  be 
taught  to  learn  that  they  should  not  lie." 

Uraso  understood  John's  look,  and  acted  ac 
cordingly.  He  was  taken  out,  but  was  not  beaten. 

Turning  to  the  chief,  and  acting  on  the  infor 
mation  imparted  by  Uraso,  he  startled  Oroto  by 
the  following  question : 


190  THE   CONQUEST 

"Wiry  did  you  lie  to  me  and  allow  your  war 
riors  to  be  beaten?" 

The  question  stunned  him  for  a  moment  John 
did  not  permit  him  time  to  frame  an  excuse. 

"You  lied  to  me  when  you  stated  that  they  had 
told  you  the  things  you  said,  and  I  know  it.  You 
are  deserving  of  the  same  punishment  as  those 
who  were  wrongfully  beaten.  Take  him  out  and 
see  that  he  is  punished  as  he  deserves." 

This  judgment  against  the  august  one  was  like 
a  death  pall  on  the  ears  of  the  sub-chiefs.  The 
chief  trembled;  his  footsteps,  theretofore  so  sup 
ple,  were  trembling,  and  he  held  out  his  hands 
for  support. 

The  enormity  of  this  punishment  to  a  chief  by 
whipping  is  the  most  disgraceful  thing  that  can 
happen.  The  person  of  a  chief  must  not  be  de 
filed  by  a  rod,  which  is  intended  only  for  children 
and  for  offenses  committed  by  the  unruly  mem 
bers  of  a  tribe. 

The  procession  filed  out,  and  John  hurriedly 
called  TJraso  and  Muro  to  his  side,  explaining  in 
a  whisper  that  they  should  intercede  to  prevent 
the  punishment. 

The  excitement  of  the  surrounded  warriors  was 
intense,  as  the  word  was  circulated  that  their 
great  chief  had  judgment  pronounced  against  him, 
and  was  to  be  publicly  whipped. 

As  they  were  proceeding  across  the  open  space, 
Uraso  and  Muro,  in  well  simulated  tones,  begged 
that  John  should  forego  the  punishment,  but  he 
refused  to  comply  until  they  had  reached  the 
place  selected. 


EESCUE  OF   FIVE   CAPTIVES      191 

John  advanced  to  him  and  said :  "Your  friends, 
Muro  and  Saboro,  have  begged  me  not  to  inflict 
the  punishment  for  lying;  I  have  decided  not  to 
do  so  at  this  time,  as  I  am  guided  by  their  judg 
ment,  and  I  know  they  are  wise.  Instead,  you 
and  your  chiefs  must  come  with  me  and  see  the 
Great  White  Chief,  and  he  may  order  that  you 
shall  not  be  punished." 

This  statement  that  he  was  not  the  Great  White 
Chief  was  another  piece  of  news  that  he  could  not 
understand. 

"And  now,  I  want  to  know  where  you  have  the 
captives  ?" 

He  hesitated.  He  looked  at  Muro  and  Uraso 
in  a  different  manner  this  time.  Uraso  quietly 
spoke  to  him:  "You  cannot  escape  the  vigilance 
of  the  white  man.  The  wonderful  fire  guns  can 
kill  all  of  your  people.  You  do  not  know  what 
you  are  doing  in  trying  to  resist  him.  If  you  do 
not  tell  him  he  will  find  them,  and  then  I  cannot 
plead  for  you." 

The  chief,  turning  to  one  of  the  sub-chiefs,  said : 
"Sanaa  will  take  you  to  them." 

The  boys  jumped  as  they  learned  the  import  of 
these  words.  They  looked  at  John.  The  latter 
turned  to  the  chief  and  said: 

"How  far  are  they  from  this  place?" 

The  distance  was  indicated  by  signs,  which 
Uraso  interpreted  to  mean  two  hours. 

"Bring  in  the  wagons  at  once,  and  unload  one 
of  them;  then  take  the  other,  with  twenty-five 
men  well  armed,  and  carry  Sanaa  with  you.  The 
poor  fellows  are  not,  probably,  in  a  condition  to 


192  THE   CONQUEST 

walk."  Then,  again  turning  to  the  chief,  he 
asked:  "How  many  prisoners  have  you?" 

He  held  up  his  hand  with  fingers  outstretched, 
indicating  five.  There  was  no  delay  in  preparing 
the  wagon,  and  Jack  and  Jill,  the  two  old  trust- 
worthies,  were  hustled  along,  to  show  the  path  of 
freedom  to  some  of  the  boys'  former  companions 
and  associates. 

John's  last  injunction  was :  "Be  sure  and  take 
plenty  of  food  along."  The  order  was  unneces 
sary.  The  boys  had  thought  of  this,  and  the  wagon 
held  precious  little  but  articles  of  comfort  for  the 
unfortunates. 

Sama  directed  the  wagon  to  the  north,  and 
Muro's  son  Lolo  accompanied  them  on  the  jour- 
Bey. 

"Do  you  know,"  said  Harry,  "we  are  going 
straight  toward  the  Cataract?" 

"I  had  quite  forgotten  that,"  answered  George. 
"How  I  would  like  to  go  back  again  to  the  dear 
old  place !" 

"I  have  just  been  thinking,  what  a  wonderful 
life  we  have  had  since  we  landed  here.  We  had 
nothing  when  we  came,  and  now  we  have  every 
thing!" 

"Yes,"  answered  George ;  and  he  stopped,  while 
Ms  eyes  took  on  a  blurry  feeling,  and  the  lashes 
began  to  blink  at  an  alarming  rate.  "All  but 
home  I" 

Harry  looked  at  George.  There  was  an  infec 
tion,  which  he  caught. 

"Of  course ;  I  mean  that,  too.  But  we  haven't 
lost  them.  When  this  business  here  is  settled  we 


BESCUE   OF   FIVE   CAPTIVES      193 

are  to  go  to  work  on  the  big  vessel.  When  I 
think  of  that  it  eases  my  mind." 

"That  is  the  great  comfort  to  me,  too.  It  makes 
me  happy  when  I  think  of  the  joy  we  are  bringing 
to  the  people  here.  I  really  love  every  foot  of 
this  island.  It  has  been  a  wonderful  experience 
to  us." 

"And,"  responded  Harry,  "to  think  that  we  have 
aided  in  restoring  so  many  to  freedom ;  John  and 
Blakely,  and  the  four  boys,  and— I  wonder  who 
the  ones  are  that  we  are  going  after  now?" 

"That  is  what  I  have  been  thinking  about  all 
along.  But  did  you  ever  see  such  bricks  as  Uraso 
and  Muro?" 

Lolo  had  learned  many  things  in  the  short  ten 
days  that  he  had  been  with  them.  The  boys  had 
attained  a  remarkable  knowledge  of  the  language, 
and  Lolo  was  a  constant  instructor  for  them.  He 
was  so  simple  and  unaffected  in  his  ways  that 
they  grew  to  love  him. 

Within  two  hours  the  location  of  the  village  was 
sighted.  It  was  distinctly  noticed  among  the 
trees,  perched  on  a  hillside,  and  the  excitement 
of  the  boys  was  intense.  Stut  was  in  charge  of 
the  warriors. 

Before  the  village  was  reached  several  warriors 
belonging  to  the  Illyas  appeared,  but  fell  back 
when  they  saw  what  was  approaching.  Stut 
directed  Sama  to  inform  them  that  they  had  come 
at  the  command  of  Oroto. 

This  information  did  not  satisfy  them,  but  the 
wagon  did  not  stop.  As  it  moved  up  the  incline, 
the  warriors  lined  up,  fully  twenty  of  them,  won- 


194  THE   CONQUEST 

dering  what  the  strange  visit  meant.  There  was 
no  act  of  hostility  apparent,  still  they  could  not 
understand  why  there  were  no  Illy  as  present  ex 
cept  Sama. 

"Take  us  direct  to  the  captives,"  commanded 
Stut 

Sama  knew  where  they  were.  A  typical  native 
hut,  but  much  larger  than  the  others,  stood  behind 
the  main  homes  of  the  village.  To  that  the  wagon 
was  directed. 

The  warriors  on  Stut's  command  lined  up  be 
hind  the  wagon,  and  the  boys,  accompanied  by 
Lolo,  rushed  for  the  door.  It  was  but  the  work 
of  a  moment  to  wrench  the  bars  away,  and  with 
out  waiting  for  any  ceremony  George  and  Harry 
were  inside. 

The  scene  that  met  their  eyes  was  appalling. 
The  five  captives  were  in  a  pitiful  state.  Two 
of  the  three  boys  were  lying  on  filthy  hay,  and 
one  man,  also  badly  emaciated,  was  on  the  other 
side,  lying  down. 

The  boy  who  was  still  on  his  feet  rushed  to 
Harry  and  threw  his  arms  about  him.  "Is  that 
you,  Harry?  Thank  God!  And  George,  too. 
"Where  did  you  come  from?" 

"Who  is  this?"  came  like  a  moan  from  one  of 
the  boys.  George  stooped  down.  "Harry,  here 
is  Eobert — Eobert  Lamson;  and  who  are  you?" 
And  he  crawled  on  his  knees  over  to  the  other, 
who  feebly  turned  his  eyes. 

Lamson  turned  to  Harry,  who  was  now  on  his 
knees.  "You  know  Min,  don't  you!"  Min  was 


EESCUE   OF   FIVE   CAPTIVES      195 

the  nickname  of  one  of  the  boys,  because  of  his 
diminutive  size. 

"Poor  Mini"  said  Harry,  as  he  put  his  arm 
around  him.  "We  will  get  you  out  of  this  at 
once." 

"But  we  are  so  hungry,"  cried  Eobert,  as  the 
tears  streamed  down  his  face. 

The  boys  were  all  crying  now.  The  tears 
streaked  their  faces.  Lolo  was  very  much  af 
fected,  but  he  was  a  jewel  in  this  emergency. 
He  called  to  Stut,  and  together  they  carried  out 
Robert,  and  Harry,  with  his  strong  arms,  lifted 
Min  as  though  he  was  a  feather. 

They  were  carried  to  the  wagon,  and  tenderly 
laid  on  the  clean,  sweet  hay.  Poor  Min  had 
fainted  with  the  excitement,  and  Eobert  was  not 
much  better.  But  who  were  the  men? 

When  Harry  returned  to  the  hut  he  found  the 
warriors  around  one  of  the  men,  talking  excitedly. 
He  was  a  Saboro,  and  Stut  recognized  him  as 
one  of  his  people,  who,  it  was  believed,  had  been 
sacrificed  long  before.  The  other  was  a  white 
man,  and  he  was  lying  in  a  sort  of  stupor,  appar 
ently  not  recognizing  his  visitors. 

Harry  spoke  to  him,  and  at  the  strange  voice 
he  turned  his  head,  and  with  an  effort  raised  him 
self.  "Who  is  this?  What  do  you  want?  Is  that 
you,  Eogers?"  and  he  fell  back  exhausted. 

The  still  active  boy,  Eoy  Whitten,  came  up,  and 
said:  "He  was  here  when  we  were  brought  to 
the  place.  His  name  is  Gustave  Wright.  He  has 
a  wonderful  story  to  tell." 


196  THE   CONQUEST 

"What  is  the  matter  with  him?  Was  he 
wounded  ?" 

"Yes ;  but  he  is  over  that  now.  The  trouble  is 
that  he  is  starved,  like  the  rest  of  us.  Can't  we 
have  something  to  eat?" 

"George  is  getting  it  ready  for  you.  You  must 
eat  sparingly  at  first.  George  will  attend  to  that, 
never  mind." 

The  Saboro  was  in  better  physical  condition 
than  the  others  of  the  party.  There  was  no  time 
for  talk.  The  captives  were  fed  sparingly.  "Oh, 
how  good  this  tastes!"  said  Eobert.  "We  had 
given  up  all  hope,  after  they  brought  us  here. 
We  tried  so  hard  to  get  away  and  go  to  the  north 
east  side  of  the  island,  where  some  white  people 
are  living." 

Harry  dragged  Eobert  out  of  the  hut,  and  called 
to  George.  "Here,  George,  did  you  hear  what  he 
said?  How  did  you  know  there  were  white  peo 
ple  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  island?" 

"We  saw  it  on  a  litter,  which  the  Illyas  brought 
into  their  other  village." 

Harry  looked  at  George.  "That  was  the  litter 
we  made  at  the  Cataract,  and  on  which  we  carried 
out  the  Kurabu.  I  wonder  how  the  Illyas  got 
hold  of  it?" 

"Where  is  the  Cataract?"  asked  Eobert. 

"That  is  at  the  northeast  part  of  the  island. 
That  was  our  home." 

"But  don't  you  live  there  now?" 

"No ;  we  live  in  a  big  town  at  the  southwest  part 
of  the  island." 

"But  this  is  so  wonderful  to  us.    Just  you  two 


EESCUE   OF   FIVE   CAPTIVES      197 

boys,  and  all  the  savages.  How  did  you  man 
age  it!" 

"But  we  are  not  alone.  The  Professor  has  been 
with  us,  and  we  have  Mr.  Varney,  and  we  rescued 
a  Mr.  Blakely,  and  four  of  the  Investigator's 
boys." 

"The  Professor — the  Professor,  and  Varney? 
Rogers  spoke  about  Varney.  Do  you  mean  the 
professor  of  philosophy  that  you  used  to  be  so 
chummy  with?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Harry,  eagerly.  "But  let  us 
get  busy  now."  Stut  had  rounded  up  the  warriors, 
and  through  Sanaa  informed  them  that  they  were 
wanted  at  the  village. 

The  women  were  in  consternation,  but  Stut  in 
formed  them  that  no  harm  would  befall  the  men. 
Up  to  this  time  Stut  had  not  permitted  Sama 
to  give  any  information  about  the  situation  at 
the  village,  but  he  now  turned  to  the  waiting  war 
riors,  and  said: 

"The  Great  White  Chief  and  all  the  tribes  have 
united,  and  have  taken  the  Illyas  chief  and  all  his 
people  prisoners,  and  all  their  women  and  chil 
dren  are  now  captives.  The  Illyas  have  not  acted 
right  and  the  chiefs  must  now  go  to  the  Great 
Chief  and  show  that  he  is  sorry,  and  that  he 
will  not  again  try  to  take  captives,  and  will  not 
make  sacrifices." 

Without  waiting  for  a  moment,  the  train  started 
back  for  the  Illyas'  village.  It  is  wonderful  how 
the  stimulating  influence  of  surroundings  will 
build  up  and  strengthen  the  depressed.  The  poor 
boys,  emaciated  as  they  were,  had  smiles  and  tears, 


198  THE   CONQUEST 

as  they  heard  little  snatches  of  experiences  from 
the  boys. 

"We  are  telling  you  these  things,  but  we  are 
simply  crazy  to  hear  your  stories.  But  they  will 
keep.  Let  us  do  the  talking  now.  You  will  be 
all  right  in  a  day  or  two." 

The  boys'  eyes  were  kept  on  the  vessels  con 
taining  the  food.  Time  and  again  George  would 
shake  his  head  as  one  or  the  other  tried  to  get 
another  "bite."  The  liquid  food  was  the  first  ad 
ministered.  The  journey  back  took  much  longer, 
because  Harry  would  not  hurry  the  animals  over 
the  rough  roads  with  the  patients  in  their  low 
condition. 

When  the  wagon  and  the  train  of  warriors  ar 
rived  at  the  village,  the  only  thing  the  boys  saw 
were  the  warriors  of  the  allies.  The  captives 
were  in  the  buildings,  and  were  guarded  on  all 
sides. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

KEMABKABLE  GROWTH   OF  UNITY 

haven't  heard  from  John  for  two  days. 
I  wonder  if  they  have  met  with  any  difficulties!" 
asked  Will,  as  they  were  together  the  evening 
after  their  trip  to  the  hill  and  forest. 

"John  is  very  prudent,  and  a  man  of  very  ex 
tensive  knowledge  as  a  campaigner.  If  they  had 
met  any  disaster  we  should  have  known  of  it 
before  this." 

"We  ought  to  have  had  a  telegraph  line.  That 
would  keep  us  in  touch  with  the  army,"  added 
Jim. 

"Wireless  telegraphy  would  be  still  better,"  re 
sponded  Tom. 

"But  how  about  wireless  telephones?" 

"And  if  wireless  telephones,  why  not  wireless 
power?" 

The  Professor  smiled,  as  one  suggestion  after 
the  other  was  made.  The  other  boys  smiled,  too, 
at  Jim's  last  suggestion  that  power  might  be 
transmitted  by  wireless. 

"That  is  going  a  little  too  far,"  said  Will.  "I 
can  understand  why  sounds  can  be  sent,  but  power 
is  another  thing,  it  seems  to  me." 

"I  am  afraid  that  is  not  a  very  logical  conclu 
sion,"  interposed  the  Professor.  "What  is  the 
difference  between  sound  and  power?" 

94  199 


200  THE   CONQUEST 

"I  should  say  that  sound  is  a  motion  in  the  air," 
replied  Will,  "and  that  power  is  motion— 

"In  the  air,  too,"  continued  the  Professor. 
"That  is  not  a  very  good  definition  of  the  matter. 
Let  us  try  and  make  it  clear.  Sound  is  produced 
by  vibration ;  the  lowest  number  of  vibrations  the 
ear  can  distinguish,  is  sixteen  per  second,  which 
is  known  as  the  low  bass  notes  of  an  organ.  The 
highest  are,  approximately,  12,000  per  second. 
These  vibrations  require  power  to  produce  them." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  all  vibrations  require 
power?" 

"Yes ;  nature  speaks  to  us  only  in  the  form  of 
motion,  or  vibrations  of  some  sort.  Light,  heat, 
electricity,  are  merely  different  forms  of  motion. 
Taste  and  smell,  as  well  as  sound,  are  merely 
modes  of  motion.  The  beating  heart;  the  wink 
ing  of  the  eyelids ;  the  rhythmic  breathing  of  the 
body;  the  swinging  of  the  pendulum;  the  move 
ment  of  the  sap  in  trees  and  the  unfolding  of  the 
leaves ;  the  light  mists  which  go  up  and  the  rains 
which  bring  the  particles  back  again;  the  winds 
and  the  waves ;  and  the  giant  swings  of  the  planets 
through  space,  all  show  how  nature  performs  her 
work  through  unceasing  movement ;  and  all  these 
require  power." 

"I  remember,"  remarked  Ralph,  "about  reading 
of  a  Hindoo  fakir  in  India,  who  claimed  that  he 
could  bring  to  him  an  object  ten  thousand  miles 
away,  in  ten  minutes  of  time.  As  that  was  mo 
tion  it  must  have  taken  considerable  power  to 
do  it." 

"That  is  easily  determined,"  answered  the  Pro- 


EEMAEKABLE   GEOWTH   OF  UNITY     201 

fessor.  "Ten  thousand  miles  would  be  16.6  miles 
per  second,  at  that  velocity.  If  the  article  should 
be  only  one  inch  square  it  would  take  18,000,000 
horsepower  to  transport  it  that  distance  in  the 
time  given.  This  calculation  is  sufficient  to  show 
the  absurdity  of  the  Hindoo's  statement." 

Considering  that  the  new  community  was  one 
which  had  been  recruited  from  a  people  which 
had  no  ambition  in  life,  except  merely  to  live,  the 
work  going  on  in  every  quarter  was  more  remark 
able  every  day.  Tom  came  to  the  Professor  and 
remarked:  "It  would  do  you  good  to  go  down 
on  street  B  and  see  how  the  Saboros  have  fixed 
up  their  places." 

This  was  a  sufficient  hint  for  him,  and  busy  as 
he  was,  he  sauntered  in  that  direction. 

What  he  saw  was,  really,  a  surprise.  Taking 
the  hint  from  the  sodding  operation  which  the 
women  had  noticed  around  the  boys'  quarters,  he 
found  that  they  had  actually  borrowed  the  wheel 
barrows  and  made  some  nice  lawns. 

The  Professor  called  in  at  the  places,  and  con 
gratulated  them  on  the  beautiful  appearances,  and 
the  nice  manner  in  which  the  work  was  done. 
What  a  wonderful  thing  that  was  to  those  poor 
women,  to  see  the  Great  Chief  take  such  notice 
of  their  work. 

He  went  into  the  cottages,  and  examined  every 
room,  and  suggested  many  changes,  and  offered 
advice  in  the  manner  of  keeping  the  houses  clean, 
and  in  taking  care  of  the  children.  This  work 
of  beautifying  their  homes  was,  of  course,  crude, 
but  it  had  a  remarkable  stimulus  to  the  others. 


202  THE   CONQUEST 

On  every  hand  this  was  taken  up.  It  was  a  spirit 
of  emulation  that  was  worth  enconraging. 

When  John  left  with  the  forces,  the  Professor 
consulted  Blakely,  and  ordered  the  erection  of 
three  larger  and  more  pretentious  cottages.  Each 
of  these  had  five  rooms,  all  plain,  but  arranged  in 
good  taste,  and  the  furniture  was  also  being  made, 
and  the  large  number  employed  enabled  them  to 
complete  the  buildings  ready  for  furnishing  be 
fore  John's  party  returned. 

The  working  force  was  now  ready  to  put  up  a 
still  larger  building.  "Do  you  know  what  this  is 
for?"  asked  Ealph,  as  the  timber  was  being  taken 
to  the  new  location. 

"I  suppose  this  is  to  be  the  Town  Hall,"  replied 
Will. 

"No,  indeed;  it  is  the  schoolhouse."  And  the 
boys  laughed  at  the  idea.  But  it  was  an  idea  that 
was  well  considered  and  determined  on,  long  be 
fore  John  left  on  the  expedition. 

But  the  town  was  growing  beyond  all  compre 
hension.  Daily  new  families  arrived,  and  Blakely 
was  the  busiest  man  in  the  place,  in  his  efforts  to 
find  work  for  them,  while  the  Professor  and  the 
boys  were  often  at  their  wits7  end  to  know  how 
and  where  they  would  house  them.  The  Saboros 
were  the  most  numerous,  followed  by  the  Berees 
and  Osagas.  But  now  the  Kurabus  were  coming 
in — the  families  of  the  warriors  with  John. 

The  Chief  Oroto  saw  and  marveled  at  the  sights. 
During  the  entire  time  he  had  been  there,  he  had 
never  suggested  the  idea  of  returning.  The 
Kurabu  medicine  men  who  had  been  brought  down 


REMARKABLE   GROWTH  OP  UNITY     203 

with  him,  were  still  under  the  charge  of  the  Pro 
fessor,  and  one  day  one  of  them  accosted  Ralph  in 
broken  English. 

He  looked  up  in  surprise.  It  was  the  first  ink 
ling  that  the  so-called  wise  men  were  being  taught 
the  language.  Ralph  had  quite  a  conversation 
with  him,  and  reported  the  information  to  the 
boys. 

How  was  this  change  brought  about!  The  first 
step  of  the  Professor  was  to  show  the  wise  ( f ) 
men  some  of  the  mysterious  things  which  the  white 
men  could  do.  The  battery,  which  the  boys  had 
made  at  Cataract,  was  one  of  the  instruments. 
Then  he  showed  them  the  simple  experiments  in 
chemistry ;  how  ores  were  treated  and  metals  ex 
tracted  and  tempered. 

These  things  were  so  much  more  important  and 
wonderful  than  anything  they  could  do  or  ever 
dreamed  of,  that  when  he  told  them  they  could 
do  those  things,  he  had  the  most  willing  pupils. 
Hour  after  hour  they  would  perform  some  task, 
until  they  began  to  crave  for  new  things.  Then 
•legan  the  work  of  instilling  knowledge  of  the  lan 
guage  as  a  part  of  their  education.  They  were 
taught  how  to  communicate  ideas  by  signs  in  the 
English  language,  and  thus  the  alphabet  was 
taught. 

A  spirit  of  rivalry  was  exhibited  among  them, 
and  it  was  so  intense  that  they  had  no  further  time 
for  idleness  or  useless  wanderings  about  the  place. 
It  was  no  wonder  that  the  boys  saw  so  little  of 
them  when  the  spirit  once  took  possession  of  their 
energies. 


204  THE   CONQUEST 

Two  of  the  men  referred  to  had  an  undoubted 
aptitude  for  chemical  experiments,  one  of  them, 
Talala,  being  exceptionally  bright  and  quick  to 
grasp  the  meaning  of  an  experiment.  He  usually 
accompanied  the  Professor  on  all  his  rounds  visit 
ing  the  sick,  because  this  was  now  an  imperative 
daily  task  on  his  part. 

The  thermometer  was  in  frequent  use  and 
Talala  understood  its  meaning.  Only  the  sim 
plest  remedies  were  used  and  administered,  and 
the  gathering  of  the  vegtables  necessary  for  the 
making  up  of  the  remedies  was  a  part  of  the 
work  of  each.  In  this  the  natives  had  a  pretty 
good  knowledge,  but  they  knew  nothing  of  making 
the  extracts,  or  how  to  concentrate  the  compounds. 

Cinchona,  the  Peruvian  bark,  and  calisaya,  its 
sister,  which  furnish  the  quinine  of  commerce, 
were  well  known  to  them,  but  they  did  not  know 
how  the  white  man  made  it  so  more  efficient  than 
the  crude  product  as  used  by  them. 

He  explained  that  by  the  use  of  an  acid,  like 
that  furnished  by  surphur,  a  chemical  change 
could  be  produced,  whereby  a  single  grain  would 
be  more  efficient  than  a  dozen  grains  in  the  way 
they  used  it.  This  was  labeled  "Sulphate  of  Qui 
nine,"  and  so  on  along  the  whole  line  of  remedies, 
he  gave  a  term  which  they  learned,  and  the  rea 
sons  for  it. 

When  John  saw  the  wagon  approaching  he 
rushed  out,  followed  by  Uraso  and  Muro.  The 
rescued  captives  were  in  the  wagon.  Pending 
their  arrival  a  number  of  the  warriors  had  cleaned 
out  the  large  building — the  one  with  the  Dorio 


REMARKABLE   GROWTH   OF   UNITY     205 

columns,  which  stood  at  right  angles  to  the  chief's 
house.  This  structure  appeared  to  be  in  the  best 
state  of  preservation. 

Another  lot  of  the  warriors  took  the  wagon, 
and  with  their  bolos  gathered  a  large  quantity 
of  the  sweet  grass  from  the  hillside,  and  this  was 
brought  to  the  building  and  arranged  for  the  use 
of  the  chiefs  and  John,  and  for  the  boys  when 
they  returned. 

George  was  eager  to  tell  of  their  adventure,  and 
of  the  prisoners  they  had  brought  with  them. 
"We  got  three  of  the  boys,  but  two  of  them  are 
very  weak.  We  have  a  friend  of  yours,  also." 

"Who  is  it!"  excluimed  John,  just  as  eager  as 
the  boys  could  be. 

"Wright;  Gustave  Wright." 

John  bounded  into  the  wagon.  Wright  saw 
John,  and  feebly  extended  his  hand. 

"I  knew  I  would  find  you  sooner  or  later,"  said 
John,  as  he  put  his  arm  around  him.  "But  we 
got  you  soon  enough  to  save  you.  All  you  need 
is  something  good  to  eat."  And  Wright  smiled. 

"Yes,"  he  answered.  "They  haven't  permitted 
me  to  take  much  so  far;  but  I  guess  they  are  all 
right.  What  a  fine  set  of  boys  you  have!" 

"The  finest  in  the  world.  Wait  until  you  know 
them !  But  never  mind  about  talking  now.  And 
these  are  the  boys?  Poor  fellows!  What  an 
experience  they  must  have  had!  Come  on,  men; 
get  them  out  and  make  them  as  comfortable  as 
possible." 

There  were  willing  hands  for  every  job.  Muro 
was  delighted  at  the  rescue  of  his  friend.  He  was 


206  THE   CONQUEST 

one  of  the  most  skillful  and  powerful  warriors, 
but  he  did  not  look  like  it  at  this  time. 

Inside  the  patients  were  ranged  about  the  place, 
and  the  cooking  stove  brought  in  from  the  wagon. 

"I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  take  charge  of  the 
kitchen,"  said  George,  as  he  ordered  it  arranged 
in  place  and  directed  them  where  to  put  the  vari 
ous  articles.  Before  long  the  savory  odor  of  the 
vegetables  and  game  reached  the  famished  ones, 
and  they  begged  for  some  of  it. 

"A  little  at  a  time,"  said  George,  soothingly. 
"I  am  doctor  and  cook,  and  there  is  plenty  here, 
of  the  best  kind." 

"Oh,  doesn't  that  smell  good!"  exclaimed  Min, 
joyously. 

"That's  the  way  I  like  to  hear  you  talk,"  said 
Harry.  "Your  voice  doesn't  seem  starved. 
You'll  be  out  in  a  couple  of  days,  and  be  better 
than  ever." 

"How  long  have  you  been  in  that  place  I"  asked 
John. 

"In  that  particular  place,  only  about  a  month; 
but  we  were  in  a  worse  place,  still  farther  south, 
for  about  three  months." 

"Starving  all  the  time!" 

"Yes." 

"I  was  moved  to  say  that  starving  is  a  good 
thing,  in  its  way,  but  it  has  its  limits,  and  four 
months  is  a  little  too  long  for  either  comfort  or 
health.  You  will  find,  however,"  continued  John, 
"that  you  will  be  much  healthier  for  the  experi 
ence,  particularly  if  you  have  ever  had  stomach 


KEMARKABLE    GROWTH   OF  UNITY     207 

troubles,  as  my  friend  Wright  here  has  had  all 
his  life.  Isn't  that  so,  Wright!" 

"Do  you  think  I  have  been  to  a  health  cure!" 
he  asked. 

"Certainly ;  the  best  kind,  for  one  in  your  condi 
tion."  And  John  laughed. 

"Probably  you  took  me  away  before  the  cure 
was  effected ;  but  as  I  always  was  magnanimous,  I 
shall  forgive  you  this  time." 

There  was  a  continuous  fire  of  conversation, 
which  cheered  the  patients,  and  added  greatly  to 
their  store  of  knowledge. 

Harry,  who  had  been  outside,  rushed  in,  and 
exclaimed  excitedly: 

"Did  you  have  Investigator's  Lifeboat  No.  3?" 

"Yes,"  exclaimed  the  boys. 

"Who  wrote  the  note  we  found  in  it?" 

"Did  you  find  our  boat?  Where  did  you  get 
it?"  asked  Robert. 

"We  found  it  on  a  river  to  the  north  of  this 
place." 

"How  in  the  world  did  it  ever  get  there?" 

"But  who  wrote  the  note?" 

"What  note?" 

"The  message  signed  Will." 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other,  as  they  all  shook 
their  heads. 

"That  is  one  of  the  mysteries  which  George  and 
I  thought  you  could  solve." 

"Mysteries!    Did  you  have  many  of  them?" 

"Many  of  them!  We  had  over  a  dozen,  and 
some  of  them  are  still  on  the  puzzle  board.  Do 
you  remember  Raggy,  the  drawing  teacher?  He 


208  THE   CONQUEST 

always  liked  to  call  some  of  our  drawings  the 
unsolved  puzzles.  I  wonder  where  he  is?  We 
had  enough  mysteries  the  first  three  months  to 
supply  headaches  for  a  year." 

"We  want  to  know  about  them." 

"We'll  tell  you  all  about  them;  and  some  were 
mighty  thrilling.  We  had  some  just  as  exciting 
as  any  you  ever  read  of  in  the  last  boys'  series 
that  we  had  about  two  years  ago." 

"You  see,"  said  George,  in  a  sage-like  tone, 
"Harry  and  I  don't  read  books  of  that  kind  any 
more;  we  simply  act  them."  And  the  boys,  and 
men,  too,  laughed  at  this  sally. 

"Stop  your  talking  for  a  while  and  eat  some 
thing,"  continued  George. 

"Good,  but  it's  awful  hot,"  said  Min,  as  he 
puckered  up  his  mouth  and  drew  in  a  breath  of 
cool  air. 

"I  made  it  hot  so  you  wouldn't  eat  too  fast," 
chuckled  George. 

Just  then  a  great  commotion  was  heard  on  the 
outside,  and  George,  Harry  and  Eobert  rushed 
for  the  door.  Beyond  the  village  a  scrimmage 
was  taking  place,  and  a  few  shots  were  fired. 

John  and  Uraso  were  racing  across  the  open 
place,  and  dozens  of  warriors  were  following. 
Muro  was  seen  as  he  emerged  from  the  combat 
ants,  and  he  was  smiling  as  John  came  up. 

"The  reinforcements  from  the  south  village 
came  too  late.  I  suspected  they  would  be  here, 
and  I  had  a  number  of  the  men  in  wait  for  them. 
They  have  captured  all  of  them." 

John  nodded  his  head  with  approval  at  the 


EEMAEKABLE   GROWTH   OF   UNITY     209 

course  of  Muro.  The  warriors  brought  in  the 
prisoners,  who  were  astounded  at  the  unexpected 
welcome  which  awaited  them.  Forty-five  were  in 
the  party.  They  were  put  under  guard  with  the 
others. 

The  utmost  care  was  observed  during  the  night, 
as  the  Illyas  were  known  to  be  very  foxy,  and 
half  the  force  was  detailed  to  keep  guard. 

Early  in  the  morning  John's  first  care  was  to 
make  an  investigation  as  to  the  character  of  the 
provisions  on  hand,  and  to  arrange  that  foraging 
parties  should  be  sent  out  to  bring  in  vegetables. 

He  was  surprised  to  learn  that  the  Illyas  culti 
vated  many  kinds  of  garden  products,  and  fruit 
was  growing  in  abundance.  This  was  found  to  be  a 
prudent  thing  to  consider,  when  it  will  be  remem 
bered  that  the  village  now  had  to  feed  over  three 
hundred  of  the  allies,  and  that  the  penned-up 
Illyas  were  not  in  a  position  to  go  out  and  bring 
in  the  daily  supply. 

The  boys  were  fed  at  intervals  during  the  night, 
but  before  four  they  all  felt  so  much  restored 
that  sleep  overtook  them,  and  John  advised  them 
to  permit  sleep,  as  that  would  be  the  best  restorer, 
and  they  were  not  disturbed  until  they  naturally 
awoke  during  the  forenoon. 

A  plentiful  supply  of  broth  was  prepared,  and 
administered  during  the  day.  But  Harry  and 
George  were  simply  wild  to  explore  the  buildings. 
The  excitement  had  been  too  intense  to  enable 
them  to  give  it  much  thought.  But  now  something 
must  be  known  about  the  buildings  and  the  reason 
for  their  erection  at  that  place. 


210  THE   CONQUEST 

John  had  questioned  various  ones  about  the 
buildings,  but  none  seemed  to  know  anything  con 
cerning  them.  Uraso  and  Muro  were  just  as  much 
surprised  as  the  whites.  Neither  had  known  of 
the  existence  of  a  place  with  such  buildings. 

It  appears  that  the  Illyas  never  allowed  cap 
tives  to  be  confined  in  the  village,  and  this  was  a 
wise  thing;  because  the  escape  of  anyone  would 
be  sure  to  inform  the  other  tribes  of  the  existence 
of  the  Forbidden  City. 

The  remarkable  thing  about  it,  aside  from  the 
buildings,  was  the  plan  upon  which  the  town  had 
been  built.  It  was  regularly  laid  out.  There  were 
three  main  buildings;  the  first  and  largest  being 
the  one  facing  the  west,  with  the  Doric  front. 
The  next  largest  had  its  front  facing  the  south, 
and  this  had  Ionic  columns.  The  third,  and  which 
was  not  noticeable  from  a  position  west  of  the  vil 
lage,  was  smaller  than  either,  with  a  front  of  Tus 
can  architecture. 

What  did  these  buildings  mean?  By  whom 
were  they  erected,  and  for  what  purpose  were  they 
intended?  These  were  questions  ever  uppermost 
in  the  minds  of  John  and  the  boys. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE  MYSTEBIOTTS  CAVE.      RETURNING  TO   tHSTITY 

"!T  may  be  there  are  some  sort  of  records  or 
tablets  somewhere  about  the  buildings  which  will 
indicate  what  they  were  erected  for;  but  my  in 
vestigations  thus  far  leave  me  just  as  much  in 
the  dark  as  when  I  first  saw  them,"  remarked 
John,  as  they  were  examining  the  structures. 

"I  wonder  if  they  have  corner  stones?  Some 
times  they  put  records  there,"  observed  Harry. 

"I  made  an  examination  in  that  direction  also, 
but  the  character  of  the  underpinning  is  the  same 
all  around,  and  the  corners  have  no  distinguishing 
stones." 

"It  must  be  a  very  old  custom  to  have  corner 
stones  for  buildings." 

"It  was  a  custom  to  have  cornerstones,  or  me 
morial  stones,  in  all  buildings  in  ancient  times. 
They  were  well  known  in  the  time  of  Job,  and 
buildings  thousands  of  years  prior  to  his  day  con 
tained  them.  It  is  not  known  from  what  the  cus 
tom  arose." 

"Didn't  you  say  that  the  treasure  charts  showed 
the  existence  of  caves  to  the  southeast  of  the  cave 
we  found  at  the  Tuolos'  village  T* 

"Yes,  and  that  is  something  that  we  shall  have 
to  investigate  to-morrow.  To-day  the  patients 
still  need  our  care,  but  they  will  be  well  enough 
to  enable  us  to  be  absent  to-morrow." 

211 


212 


THE   CONQUEST 


"I  think  we  ought  to  make  sketches  of  the  plan 
of  this  town.  I  have  a  presentiment  that  we  shall 
know  something  more  about  this  place  in  the  fu 
ture,"  said  George. 


o 
o 


ooooooooooooo 

OOOOOOOOOQO  OO 

o  ^cro  o  o 

O  OOOQOo 


O  O 
O  O 


O 
O 
O 


O 
O 
O 


0° 


Jbrto 


O    0   0 


O  O 
O 

O 


"By  all  means  have  it  prepared  during  the  day. 
Later  on  I  may  be  able  to  give  a  pretty  good 
guess  what  all  this  means."  And  the  boys  looked 
at  each  other  significantly. 

If  the  chiefs,  or  any  of  the  lower  order,  knew 
anything  about  the  origin  of  the  town,  they  did 
not  make  it  apparent. 

"Do  you  notice  one  singular  thing  about  this 
town  and  the  people  in  it  f "  asked  John. 

Neither  of  the  boys  could  guess. 


THE   MYSTERIOUS   CAVE  213 

"Where  are  the  medicine  men,  and  those  who 
perform  the  sacred  rites  at  their  festivals?" 

The  boys  again  looked  at  each  other  for  an  an 
swer.  George  replied:  "I  think  they  are  at  the 
caves  of  which  the  charts  give  some  indication," 
finally  exclaimed  Harry. 

"That  is  the  case,  undoubtedly.  That  is  where 
we  shall  have  the  difficulty.  The  chiefs  will  not 
disclose  their  hiding  places.  Before  going  on  the 
search  we  must  question  the  chief." 

In  the  early  morning  John  and  the  boys  called 
on  the  chief  in  company  with  Uraso.  A  complete 
change  had  come  over  him.  Two  days  before  he 
was  sullen  and  moody,  after  the  first  lesson  had 
been  given  him.  Now  he  was  different  and  agree 
able. 

"Before  we  start  for  the  village  of  the  Great 
White  Chief  there  are  some  questions  I  would 
ask  you.  How  many  medicine  men  have  you!" 

"Ten." 

"Where  are  they?" 

"In  their  dark  homes." 

"Where  are  those  homes  ?" 

"To  the  east.  Sama  will  take  you  to  them,  but 
you  cannot  go  in."  - 

"Why  not?" 

"Because  you  will  be  destroyed." 

"How  do  you  know?" 

"Because  they  have  told  us  so." 

"Do  you  believe  them?" 

"Yes." 

"Do  you  sacrifice  your  captives  because  they  tell 
you  the  Great  Spirit  demands  itf ' 

"Yes." 


214  THE   CONQUEST 

"Then  I  must  tell  you  that  they  lie  to  you." 
The  Great  Spirit  does  not  tell  them  to  sacrifice. 
It  is  not  death  to  enter  their  homes." 

"But  we  know  that  no  one  has  ever  come  from 
them  alive." 

"Does  the  Great  Spirit  kill  them  when  they  go 
in?" 

"Yes." 

"Do  you  want  to  know  whether  they  tell  the 
truth?" 

"Yes." 

"Then  I  will  go  in,  and  show  you  that  the  Great 
Spirit  will  not  harm  me." 

"How  shall  I  know  that  you  go  in?" 

"You  must  go  with  me  and  stand  at  the  opening." 

The  chiefs  eyes  now  wandered  about.  He  was 
visibly  affected  at  this  bold  declaration,  and  John 
saw  hesitation  in  his  demeanor. 

Without  giving  him  time  to  waver,  he  contin 
ued:  "The  great  Chief  Oroto  must  not  show  his 
people  that  he  is  afraid.  He  must  show  them  that 
he  is  greater  and  wiser  than  the  medicine  men, 
and  that  the  wise  men  who  have  told  him  those 
tales  have  not  told  the  truth." 

Turning  to  Uraso  he  said :  "Prepare  the  wagon, 
and  we  will  start  at  once."  The  chief  and  two  of 
the  sub-chiefs  were  taken  out  and  placed  in  the 
wagon.  Harry,  George,  Uraso  and  Muro,  with  a 
picked  company  of  twenty-five  men,  were  selected 
to  accompany  them. 

The  wagon  was  a  curiosity  to  Oroto.  He  en 
joyed  the  ride  immensely  and  admired  the  manner 
in  which  Harry  handled  and  guided  the  yaks. 

Their  course  was  directed  due  east  for  a  mile> 


THE   MYSTERIOUS   CAVE  215 

and  then  moved  along  a  well-beaten  path  diago 
nally  up  the  hill  in  a  southern  direction.  After 
preceding  thus  for  a  half  mile  farther  the  ground 
became  rough  and  cut  up  by  innumerable  gullies. 

"How  much  farther  must  be  go?" 

"To  the  place  where  the  great  trees  are."  And 
he  pointed  to  a  group  of  trees  less  than  five  hun 
dred  feet  beyond.  Progress  with  the  team  was  im 
possible,  and  all  alighted.  Leaving  three  of  the 
warriors  with  the  team,  the  others  ascended  the 
slight  elevation,  and  before  them  was  the  mouthi 
of  the  cavern. 

The  opening  was  not  more  than  eight  feet  in 
height,  and  not  over  six  feet  wide,  with  irregular 
sides.  Arriving  in  front  of  it,  John  advanced  to 
Oroto,  and  said :  "I  am  about  to  show  you  that  the 
Great  Spirit  will  not  injure  me  1"  And  saying  so 
boldly  marched  in. 

He  remained  for  a  full  half  hour,  and  the  chief 
became  uneasy.  The  boys,  as  well  as  Uraso  and 
Muro,  affected  not  to  be  disturbed.  What  John 
did  was  this:  It  was  evident  to  him  that  the  oc 
cupants  of  the  cave  had  no  knowledge  of  the  ap 
proach  of  the  party. 

They  knew  tiiat  the  White  Chief  and  the  allies 
had  captured  the  village  and  the  chiefs.  They  felt 
a  certain  sense  of  security  in  their  home,  because 
in  all  the  tribal  warfares  the  medicine  men  and  the 
wise  men  of  the  tribes  were  regarded  with  fear  and 
reverence. 

When  John  entered  the  cave,  he  went  in  a  suf 
ficient  distance  to  be  surrounded  by  total  dark 
ness.  He  remained  concealed  long  enough  so  that 
he  could  become  accustomed  to  the  darkness,  and 

95 


216  THE   CONQUEST 

slowly  moved  toward  the  interior,  as  he  felt  as 
sured  the  occupants'  presence  would  sooner  or 
later  be  revealed  by  their  lights. 

In  this  he  was  not  mistaken,  and  he  was  sur 
prised  to  find  them  much  nearer  the  entrance  than 
he  anticipated.  It  would  be  more  impressive  to  re 
main  for  some  time  than  to  emerge  at  once,  so  he 
sat  down  to  observe  the  wise  men. 

There  was  the  most  oppressive  silence  when  he 
first  observed  the  light,  but  as  he  neared  them,  a 
more  or  less  animated  conversation  took  place. 
Much  of  this  was  understood  by  John,  as  his  knowl 
edge  of  two  of  the  dialects  gave  him  some  key  to 
the  words  uttered.  From  this  it  was  evident  that 
they  knew  of  the  rescue  of  the  captives. 

The  chief  had  told  them  of  ten  belonging  to  the 
order.  John  could  count  only  eight.  Possibly 
two  were  in  some  other  part  of  the  cavern,  and 
he  moved  along  at  the  opposite  side  of  the  large 
chamber  to  discover  what  was  beyond. 

Brushing  along  the  wall,  a  hanging  stalactite 
was  dislodged,  and  it  fell.  The  noise  did  not  give 
even  a  momentary  start  to  the  company.  John 
was  surprised.  He  stopped  and  reflected,  and  the 
reason  soon  became  plain.  They  supposed  that  it 
was  caused  by  the  absent  ones  returning. 

But  John  waited  and  the  two  did  not  return, 
and  they  began  to  glance  about.  At  this  time  he 
was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  chamber,  so  that 
the  medicine  men  were  between  him  and  the  mouth 
of  the  cave. 

A  half  dozen  of  them  had  arisen,  and  John 
stepped  forward  with  his  gun  in  position.  In  a 
stentorian  voice  John  shouted: 


THE   MYSTERIOUS  CAVE          217 

"I  am  the  Great  White  Chief.  Go  to  the  door 
of  the  cave.  If  any  refuse  he  will  die.  Go !" 

It  might  be  stated  that  before  leaving  for  the 
cave  Uraso  had  fully  instructed  John  how  to  use 
the  above  phrases.  His  sudden  apparition  on  the 
side  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  cave  was  most  star 
tling  to  them.  Not  a  word  was  uttered  by  either. 

"Go !"  again  shouted  John.  They  seemed  to  be 
paralyzed.  By  a  common  impulse  they  moved  to 
ward  the  entrance,  and  as  they  marched  out  and 
saw  the  party  there  waiting  to  receive  them,  to 
gether  with  their  own  chief,  the  consternation  was 
most  marked  on  the  faces  of  all. 

Addressing  the  chief,  John  said :  "Here  are  your 
wise  men.  The  Great  Spirit  is  not  there.  They 
have  lied  to  you." 

It  was  now  apparent  from  the  actions  of  the 
chief  why  he  was  considered  such  a  power  and  a 
terror  to  his  own  people  and  to  the  tribes.  He 
was  every  inch  a  chief.  He  strode  forward,  and 
would  have  crashed  them  with  his  own  hands,  but 
John  interposed. 

"We  shall  take  care  of  them.  They  will  never 
again  lie  to  the  great  chief  Oroto."  And  so  say 
ing  they  were  ordered  bound,  and  Uraso  instruct 
ed  to  take  them  to  the  village  and  carefully  guard 
them. 

"You  may  take  the  wagon  with  you,  Uraso.  as 
the  boys  and  I  want  to  attend  to  some  matters  on 
our  own  account,  and  we  shall  soon  follow  you." 

When  the  cavalcade  passed  from  their  sight, 
John  said :  "I  suppose  we  shall  now  have  an  op 
portunity  to  examine  the  place.  Have  you  any 
candles?" 


218  THE   CONQUEST 

Harry  Lad  not  forgotten  them,  and  the  boys 
smiled  as  John  also  drew  forth  several,  and  thus 
they  entered  the  cave.  John  marched  direct  to 
the  place  where  the  wise  men  had  their  quarters, 
and  their  lamps  were  still  burning. 

"By  the  way,  we  came  in  too  soon.  Two  of  them 
are  outside,  or  are  somewhere  in  the  cave.  We 
want  them  as  well  as  the  others.  If  they  find  us 
here,  they  will  be  likely  to  get  away.  But  we 
are  hers  now,  and  we  must  find  out  what  we  can, 
and  as  quickly  as  possible."  The  lights  at  the  hab 
itable  part  of  the  cave  were  left  burning  and  the 
three  plunged  into  the  passageway  which  led  to  the 
east. 

"This  is  the  cave  noted  in  the  chart.  How  for 
tunate  it  is.  You  will  note  that  this,  like  the  other 
cave,  has  also  a  cross-shaped  formation,  and  the 
treasure  should  be  at  the  south  branch." 

"Here  it  is,"  whispered  George. 

"What,  the  treasure  V*  was  Harry's  eager  ques 
tion. 

"No;  the  south  branch." 

<*Yott  are  undoubtedly  right.  There  is  no  other 
opening." 

This  branch  was  followed  less  than  a  hundred 
feet,  when  a  solid  white  wall  appeared  in  front, 
and  it  was  readily  seen  that  the  channel  terminated 
in  the  chamber. 

The  floor  of  this  chamber  was  one  mass  of  un 
even  projections,  entirely  unlike  the  other  parts 
of  the  cave,  and  what  was  more  singular  still,  it 
was  fully  six  feet  higher  than  the  floors  of  the 
other  portions,  but  it  was  absolutely  devoid  of 


THE   MYSTERIOUS   CAVE  219 

any  treasure,  or  anything  which  could  contain  such 
a  hoard  as  the  chart  seemed  to  indicate. 

"It  is  just  as  well,"  said  John,  resignedly.  "I 
suppose  we  have  enough  for  our  purposes." 

While  crawling  down  the  rough  portion  which 
formed  the  elevated  floor  of  the  chamber  Harry 
slipped,  and  broke  off  a  portion  of  the  stalagmite 
overlaying  the  side.  It  was  dark  beneath. 


Mecftcfrte  Me  ft* 


Diaram  of  Crott  «  &  fayoecl  Ccute. 


"This  is  not  calcareous  matter/'  exclaimed 
John. 

"What  is  it1"  asked  both  in  a  breath. 

The  lights  were  concentrated  on  a  sample,  and 
as  John  raised  his  head  he  looked  at  the  boys, 
and  slowly  uttered  one  word: 

"Copper  !" 

The  boys  did  not  at  first  grasp  the  true  signifi 
cance  of  the  word.  It  was  marvelous  to  them  that 
copper  should  be  found  there,  but  John  thought 
of  something  else.  It  offered  a  possible  explana 
tion  to  the  origin  of  the  buildings.  Where  were 


220  THE   CONQUEST 

the  mines?  Were  they  in  the  cave  itself?  This 
was  not  copper  ore.  It  was  a  partly  refined  prod 
uct. 

It  was  evident  to  John,  and  further  verified  that 
the  entire  chamber,  which  was  fully  sixty  feet  long 
and  fifty  feet  wide,  was  covered  with  a  layer  of 
this  copper  for  a  height  of  six  feet.  A  calculation 
of  the  value  could  be  readily  made. 

John  and  the  boys  made  their  way  out  and  past 
the  fires  that  were  still  burning,  and  which  would 
be  relighted  no  more.  The  two  absent  ones  were 
not  found.  They  had  not  returned.  The  reason 
was  explained  when  the  village  was  reached. 
They  were  captured  by  Uraso  before  they  had  left 
the  cave  a  thousand  feet. 

During  the  day  and  the  succeeding  night  the 
patients  improved  each  hour.  Both  of  the  invalid 
boys  were  able  to  sit  up.  Eogers  wanted  a  full 
meal,  but  still  none  were  allowed  to  indulge.  John 
announced  that  a  start  for  home  would  be  made 
in  the  morning. 

There  was  intense  bustle  in  the  village  the  next 
morning.  The  chief  was  informed  that  he  and 
two  of  his  sub-chiefs  would  be  required  to  accom 
pany  them,  together  with  one  hundred  of  his  war 
riors.  The  ten  wise  (?)  men  were  also  to  be  of 
the  party. 

There  was  mingled  feeling  of  emotion  in  the 
minds  of  the  people  when  they  saw  their  great 
•chief  for  the  first  time  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
people  humbled  and  taken  captive  by  a  foreign 
tribe. 

It  was  well  to  leave  them  with  that  impression. 
They  would  soon  learn  otherwise,  and  for  the  first 


THE    MYSTEKIOUS   CAVE  221 

lime  begin  to  appreciate  that  the  white  man's 
way  is  superior  to  their  own. 

The  boys  and  Gustave  were  in  the  wagon  with 
the  Chief  Oroto.  The  others  were  on  foot.  Occa 
sionally  John  would  take  a  place  and  delight  in  the 
chatter  of  the  boys,  and  sometimes  would  listen 
to  remarks  about  Oroto,  that  would  not  have  been 
pleasant  for  his  ears. 

John  didn't  blame  them  a  bit  for  it  either.  The 
pale,  drawn  faces  of  the  two  boys  made  them 
pitiable  objects,  and  when  he  saw  them  he  felt 
like  cursing  the  chief  who  would  permit  such  cru 
elties  to  innocent  boys.  But  he  remembered  that 
the  chief  knew  no  better.  He  lived  according  to 
the  best  that  was  given  him.  Why  was  he  to  be 
blamed! 

There  was  hardly  a  subject  but  was  canvassed 
by  the  boys.  The  chief  soon  became  interested, 
and  he  frequently  asked  Lolo  questions.  Before 
the  journey  ended  the  boys  changed  their  opinions 
about  Oroto.  Perhaps  the  vivacity  of  the  boys  at 
tracted  him. 

But  later  on,  through  Lolo,  he  began  to  learn 
things  which  astounded  him.  Muro  had  told  his 
son  Lolo  that  Harry  was  the  one  who  made  the 
wonderful  guns,  and  this  was  communicated  to  the 
chief.  Harry  was  a  hero  to  him  from  that  time  on. 
Lolo  told  the  chief  about  the  wonderful  things 
which  they  were  making  at  the  new  town,  and 
long  before  they  sighted  the  place  he  was  inter 
ested  just  like  a  common  mortal. 

But  the  Saboro  village  was  in  sight.  "Moro," 
asked  John,  "how  long  will  it  take  to  get  your 
family  ready?" 


222  THE    CONQUEST 

"We  shall  go  on  with  you  this  af  ternoon." 

They  were  ready  and  waiting  when  the  train 
came  in  sight.  Lolo  was  out  of  the  wagon  and 
sprang  to  his  mother,  just  like  any  other  boy 
would  do,  and  he  told  her  in  two  minutes  what 
had  happened  in  fifteen  days.  An  American  boy 
could  not  have  done  better  than  that. 

Was  Stuf  s  family  going,  too  ?  Certainly  I  The 
boys  laughed  merrily.  One  wagon  was  given  over 
to  the  families,  containing  seven  women  and  four 
teen  children.  But  the  wagons  were  lightened  of 
their  heavy  loads  of  provisions  and  easily  accom 
modated  to  emigrants. 

This  was  a  happy  party.  The  natives  never 
knew  of  such  an  outing.  It  was  quite  a  cavalcade. 
Just  imagine  four  hundred  warriors,  the  two  wag 
ons,  the  women  and  the  children,  the  men  chant 
ing  a  peculiar  song  as  they  marched,  occasionally 
interspersed  with  laughter,  and  a  constant  flow 
of  talk  about  the  new  and  wonderful  place  they 
were  going  to,  of  the  great  white  chiefs,  and  above 
all  the  real  and  unaffected  pleasure  that  grew  out 
of  the  knowledge  that  there  would  be  no  more 
war. 

On  the  second  day  after  leaving  the  Saboro  vil 
lage,  Unity  came  in  sight.  George  crawled  to  the 
top  of  the  wagon,  and,  raising  his  hat  and  waving 
it,  began  to  cheer.  Every  warrior  did  likewise 
when  he  saw  the  signal.  It  was  a  bedlam  for  a 
few  moments.  The  Illyas  chief  saw  it  and  smiled. 

Unity  heard  the  cheers.  There  was  no  more 
work  that  day.  The  men  in  the  fields  came  in. 
Those  in  the  workshops  deserted  their  posts,  and 


THE   MYSTERIOUS   CAVE  223 

lined  up  along  the  newly  made  sidewalks  that  had 
been  carefully  arranged  several  days  before. 

The  women  were  out  in  force,  and  the  children 
in  evidence  everywhere.  The  two  wagons  were  ia 
advance,  Harry  being  in  the  lead.  Not  a  man  left 
the  town  to  rush  out  and  greet  them.  The  Profes 
sor  suggested  that  a  more  fitting  welcome  could 
be  given  by  forming  lines  to  receive  the  warriors 
as  they  filed  by. 

The  wagon  was  now  within  five  hundred  feet  of 
the  end  of  the  receiving  line  of  the  villagers. 
Angel,  the  orang-outan,  was  in  the  line  also.  The 
sight  of  the  wagons  was  too  much  for  him.  He 
scampered  along  the  street  in  that  peculiar  shuf 
fling  gait  that  all  the  villagers  knew,  and  started 
for  the  wagon. 

He  was  the  only  one  in  the  town  who  disobeyed 
the  orders  of  the  Professor.  He  knew  that  George 
was  in  the  wagon.  He  passed  the  first  one,  driven 
by  Harry,  but  he  was  up  in  the  top  of  the  second 
in  an  instant,  and  he  made  his  way  to  George's 
side,  and  looked  up  in  his  face.  George  put  his 
arm  around  him,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  do,  and 
this  was  sufficient  for  him. 

The  children  screamed  in  delight,  but  Angel 
didn't  mind,  because  he  saw  that  George  didn't. 
When  George  put  his  arm  around  Lolo's  little 
baby  sister,  Angel  looked  at  George,  reproach 
fully,  at  first,  but  when  George  laughed  Angel 
emitted  his  well-known  chuckle,  which  always  in 
dicated  delight,  and  he  knew  that  all  jealousy  had 
vanished. 


CHAPTEB   XVTH 

BUILDING  A  SHIP  TO   TAKE  THEM  HOME 

GKBAT  was  tlie  surprise  of  Oroto  to  find  that 
Marmo,  chief  of  the  Tuolos,  and  Tastoa,  chief 
of  the  Kurabus,  were  in  the  town.  Greater  still 
was  the  marvel  to  know  that  they  were  entirely 
free  to  go  and  come,  and  when  Uraso  announced 
to  him  that  there  were  no  restrictions  on  his  lib 
erty,  he  wondered  why  he  had  been  brought  from 
his  village. 

This  proceeding  was  most  unusual.  During  the 
preceding  day,  when  they  marched  into  the  town, 
he  had  been  kept  in  one  of  the  buildings  under 
guard,  and  had  not  seen  the  Professor,  as  the 
latter  first  desired  to  confer  with  John,  and  learn 
all  about  the  facts  about  the  chief  and  his  actions. 

Oroto  was  most  anxious  to  see  the  Great  White 
Chief,  and  when  Uraso  announced  to  him  that  he 
was  prepared  to  receive  him,  he  was  eager  to 
go.  John  thought  it  would  be  much  better  for 
them  to  meet  alone,  because  it  was  desired  to 
avoid  all  cause  for  jealousy  among  the  different 
chiefs,  and  it  would,  probably,  be  disagreeable  to 
have  them  present.  All  must  be  present,  or  none. 

Uraso  conducted  him  to  the  door  of  the  Profes 
sor's  apartment,  and  left  him.  As  he  entered,  the 
Professor  came  forward,  and  grasped  his  hand, 
and  put  his  arm  around  him,  and  in  that  manner 
conducted  him  to  a  seat. 

The  chief  looked  at  him,  and  saw  the  strong, 

224 


BUILDING  A.  SHIP  225 

handsome  face  and  the  white  beard  and  hair. 
He  appeared  to  be  awed  by  the  sight,  as  he  was 
affected  by  the  kind  reception.  He  was  far  from 
assuming  the  defiant  attitude  with  which  he  met 
John. 

"I  welcome  you,"  said  the  Professor.  "I  know 
we  can  be  friends." 

The  chief  was  overcome  by  the  greeting  words. 
It  was  plain  that  he  had  prepared  for  an  entirely 
different  kind  of  meeting.  He  did  not  answer, 
but  sat  there  with  eyes  riveted  on  the  Professor, 
and  the  latter  continued: 

"I  hope  my  warriors  have  treated  you  right, 
and  that  they  have  not  injured  any  of  your  peo 
ple." 

When  Oroto  had  recovered  from  his  surprise 
he  responded: 

"Why  do  you  call  me  your  friend  f ' 

The  Professor  smiled,  and  he  answered:  "Are 
you  my  enemy?" 

This  was  a  question  which  was  unexpected. 
What  manner  of  man  was  this?  The  Professor 
saw  the  struggle  in  the  chiefs  mind,  as  he  tried 
to  frame  a  reply. 

"I  was  your  enemy;  but  I  do  not  see  why  I 
should  be.  I  was  told  that  you  were  a  terrible 
chief." 

"Who  told  yon  so?" 

"The  wise  men." 

"Do  you  believe  them?" 

"No;  I  shall  kill  them,  because  they  have  lied 
to  me  and  my  people." 

"Why  do  you  wish  to  kill  them?  Will  that  do 
you  or  your  people  any  good?" 


226  THE   CONQUEST 

"Then  what  can  I  do  with  people  who  deceive 
us?" 

"Teach  them  to  understand  and  know  that  it  is 
better  to  tell  the  truth  than  to  lie.  When  you  do 
that  you  are  also  teaching  the  people  what  is 
right.  If  you  kill  them  you  are  teaching  people 
revenge,  and  revenge  will  not  help  them." 

"You  are  telling  me  something  new  and  strange. 
My  people  would  not  understand  that.  They 
would  think  I  feared  to  punish." 

"The  white  man  does  not  think  so.  He  be 
lieves  that  each  man  is  entitled  to  his  life.  If  he 
does  wrong,  he  may  be  deprived  of  his  liberty, 
and  made  to  labor  for  others,  and  pleasures  kept 
from  him,  but  that  his  life  should  not  be  taken 
from  him,  unless  he  has  committed  the  greatest 
crime  against  the  people." 

"What  is  the  greatest  crime?" 

"The  killing  of  another." 

"I  am  in  your  power.  What  do  you  want  me  to 
do?  What  will  you  do  with  me?  I  did  not  know 
you  taught  such  things." 

"You  are  in  my  village ;  but  you  are  free  to  go 
where  you  will.  My  chief  did  not  bring  you  here 
to  humiliate  you,  or  to  punish  you.  I  told  him  to 
bring  you  here  so  you  might  know  how  the  white 
men  live,  and  how  they  try  to  make  the  people 
happy.  You  can  see  these  things  for  yourself. 
Then  you  can  understand." 

"I  am  told  that  you  have  people  here  from  all 
the  tribes,  and  that  they  live  together  in  peace 
and  in  contentment." 

"Yes ;  and  why  not  ?  Because  one  man  was  born 
and  lives  in  one  place,  is  that  any  reason  why  he 


BUILDING  A   SHIP  227 

should  be  the  enemy  of  one  who  lives  somewhere 
else?" 

"But  how  can  we  prevent  them  from  fighting 
each  other?" 

"Let  all  the  chiefs  agree  to  do  what  is  right 
to  each  other,  and  to  their  people ;  and  treat  each 
man  the  same,  whether  he  belongs  to  your  tribe 
or  to  some  other.  Do  not  seek  revenge,  but  jus 
tice." 

"I  shall  forever  be  the  White  Chiefs  friend." 

"But  you  must  be  not  onty  my  friend,  but  the 
friend  of  all  the  chiefs.  They  have  agreed  to 
live  together  in  peace.  We  will  find  work  for  all 
your  people  to  do,  so  they  can  become  happy  and 
strong,  and  I  want  you  to  go  with  me  to  see  the 
things  we  are  doing  to  help  the  people.  Before 
we  do  so  you  must  talk  to  the  chiefs  who  have 
been  here  and  who  know  what  we  are  trying  to 
bring  about." 

Oroto  sought  out  Marmo  at  once.  He  was  the 
nearest  in  kin  to  the  Illyas,  and  the  Professor 
noted  this  action  on  his  part  with  the  greatest  sat 
isfaction.  Soon  Tastoa,  of  the  Kurabus,  was 
brought  in,  and  no  restraint  was  placed  on  any  of 
these  conferences. 

When  all  the  whites  met  that  night  you  may  be 
sure  that  there  was  a  jollification  that  knew  no 
bounds.  What  a  wonderful  thing  had  been  accom 
plished.  All  grasped  the  Professor's  hand,  and 
many  tears  were  shed  in  the  joy  of  the  meeting. 
Six  boys  and  three  men  had  been  rescued  from  the 
jaws  of  death  by  the  Professor  and  the  two  boys. 

In  less  than  two  years  they  had  transformed  an 
island  of  savage  races  into  some  semblance  of  or- 


229  THE   CONQUEST 

derly  life,  and  inspired  the  people  with  a  new 
impulse.  It  was  the  first  time  the  chiefs  of  the 
island  had  ever  met  together.  Within  a  week  all 
were  on  friendly  terms  with  each  other. 

At  the  conference  that  evening  the  Professor 
remarked :  "We  have  now  put  in  nearly  two  years 
of  hard  work,  and  accomplished  the  most  wonder 
ful  results.  The  boys  want  to  go  home,  and  it  is 
right  that  they  should.  Owing  to  the  peculiar  con 
ditions  existing  here,  we  have  not  been  in  a  posi 
tion  where  we  could  take  any  organized  steps 
to  go  home.  As  long  as  any  of  our  friends  were 
in  captivity  it  was  our  duty  to  remain." 

"The  situation  is  different  now.  We  have  really 
started  a  little  empire  here.  This  is  the  'Empire* 
that  Harry  spoke  about  when  we  landed  here. 
He  little  knew  how  prophetic  that  was.  We  now 
have  the  men,  the  material,  the  energy,  and  the 
ingenuity  to  make  anything  that  is  made  anywhere 
in  the  world." 

"We  must  build  a  ship- 
But  the  Professor  could  go  no  further.  The 
boys  were  wild  with  excitement  at  the  news,  as 
they  gathered  about  him. 

"But  I  am  coming  back  again,"  cried  one  after 
the  other. 

"But  I  am  not  going  away,"  added  the  Profes 
sor,  "because  I  am  afraid  I  should  never  be  able 
to  come  back  again." 

There  was  a  tone  of  sadness  as  he  said  this, 
and  it  touched  all  the  boys.  It  was  hard  to  tell 
whether  this  was  an  occasion  for  joy  or  sorrow. 

All  knew  what  the  Professor  and  John  and 


BUILDING   A   SHIP  229 

Blakely  felt,  and  that  it  would  become  their  great 
field  for  future  work. 

Here  was  also  a  field  for  the  energies  of  the 
boys,  whose  abilities  could  be  directed  into  useful 
channels.  Commercially  the  island  was  of  im 
mense  value,  if  properly  used.  So  long  as  John 
and  the  Professor  were  there  no  wrong  specula 
tive  efforts  would  dare  to  be  attempted  by  un 
scrupulous  adventurers. 

John,  together  with  Harry,  Tom  and  Jim,  who 
were  the  engineering  force  of  the  island,  soon  be 
gan  the  work  of  preparing  the  material  for  the 
ship  which  would  place  them  in  communication 
with  the  great  world. 

The  three  new  boys  were  initiated  into  the  craft- 
hood  which  was  ever  widening  and  gaming  new 
recruits.  The  natives  showed  remarkable  apti 
tude  for  the  various  branches  of  work.  But  the 
Professor  and  Blakely  had  other  ideas  than  to 
train  too  many  of  them  to  labor  in  the  mechanical 
lines. 

Here  was  a  land,  rich  in  soil,  capable  of  growing 
any  crop,  or  adapted  to  give  up  its  bounty  in  the 
form  of  many  valuable  kinds  of  produce.  Rubber, 
coffee,  spices,  cocoanuts,  the  finest  fibers,  in 
variety,  and  all  of  them  now  growing  wild. 

This  land  must  be  occupied  and  tilled  by  a  peo 
ple  adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate.  The  princi 
ples  of  agriculture  must  be  instilled.  What  a 
wonderful  work  to  contemplate ! 

The  schoolhouse  was  ready,  but  there  were  no 
books.  Eobert  had  taken  the  preliminary  lessons 
as  an  artist,  and  was  very  handy  with  the  brush 
and  pencil.  Entirely  on  his  own  initiative,  he 


230  THE   CONQUEST 

prepared  a  set  of  letters,  containing  the  caps  of 
the  alphabet,  and  these  were  cut  out  by  him,  and 
the  work  so  delighted  the  Professor  that  he  in 
structed  the  boys  how  to  cast  the  whole  series 
at  one  time,  so  that  a  good  stock  of  type  was  finally 
turned  out. 

"I  have  an  idea,"  said  Eobert,  "that  it  would  be 
a  good  thing  to  put  some  pictures  in  the  primer; 
just  enough  to  make  it  look  attractive." 

"That  would  be  fun,"  answered  Min.  "Don't 
say  anything  to  the  Professor  about  it." 

The  latter  had  already  arranged  a  simple  press, 
but  when  the  latter  was  nearing  completion,  Eoy 
burst  out  laughing,  as  he  remarked:  "Type  is  a 
good  thing,  and  so  is  a  printing  press,  but  I  am 
interested  in  knowing  where  we  are  going  to  get 
the  paper." 

"Paper!"  exclaimed  George;  "lots  of  it  growing 
all  about  here."  And  he  looked  at  the  boys  a 
little  maliciously.  "All  we  need  to  do  is  to  go  out 
and  gather  it." 

"Paper  growing?  Well,  I  have  seen  many  things 
here,  but  that  is  something  new  to  me."  . 

"Do  you  know  what  the  plantain  tree  is,  the  tree 
with  the  big  sprawling  leaves?  Those  leaves  will 
make  good  sheets  for  printing  on." 

The  Professor  heard  the  last  part  of  the  con 
versation,  and  remarked:  "We  might  as  well  make 
paper,  and  I  have  already  asked  Harry  to  make 
a  grinder  for  furnishing  the  pulp.  We  have  the 
finest  paper  stock  in  the  world." 

"Yes,"  exclaimed  George;  "the  ramie." 

"No;  not  that.    There  is  a  reason  why  hemp, 


BUILDING  A   SHIP 


231 


and  many  other  fibers  are  better  than  that.    Do 
you  recall  the  peculiarity  about  ramie  ?" 

Harry  remembered.     It  resists  moisture,  and 
while  it  makes  an  excellent  paper  would  be  dim*- 


cult  with  their  crude  means  to  turn  it  out  satisfac 
torily.  The  grinding  machine  was  a  simple  affair, 
and  the  fiber  was  fed  through  again  and  again, 
until  it  was  cut  up  into  short  lengths. 

The  principal  thing,  however,  in  paper  making 
is  to  get  it  the  same  thickness.    "It  will  take  too 

06 


232  THE    CONQUEST 

long  to  make  a  cylinder,  which  makes  the  paper 
even,  and  distribute  the  pulp  perfectly,  and  in 
the  absence  of  that  I  have  ordered  an  apparatus 
which  will  turn  out  a  sheet  at  a  time." 

The  Professor  then  exhibited  a  drawing,  and 
continued:  "Notice  the  box,  which  is  two  feet 
square  inside  and  two  feet  high.  See  this  cleat 
all  around  the  inside,  six  inches  from  the  top. 
That  is  to  hold  the  frame  of  a  cloth  web,  which 
fits  in  the  box  exactly." 

"At  the  bottom  of  the  box  is  a  pipe,  right  in 
the  middle.  This  pipe  is  for  the  purpose  of  car 
rying  the  water  into  the  box.  Below  the  box  is  a 
larger  box,  and  this  contains  the  water  which  has 
the  pulp  mixed  with  it,  just  enough  of  the  pulp  to 
make  it  look  cloudy. 

"The  water  in  the  box  is  carried  into  the  box  by 
the  pump.  When  the  screen,  or  web,  is  placed  in 
position,  and  the  pump  set  to  work,  the  water,  car 
rying  the  pulp,  moves  upwardly  in  the  box,  and 
the  fine  particles  of  pulp  are  caught  by  the  screen 
and  held  there,  the  little  fibers  lying  crisscross 
over  each  other. 

"Every  minute  or  so  the  screen  with  the  paper 
mat  on  its  underside  must  be  taken  out  and  an 
other  put  in,  and  the  matted  paper  on  each  screen 
put  under  a  press,  and  the  water  squeezed  out, 
after  which  it  will  readily  peel  off  the  screen,  and 
when  it  is  dried  it  makes  a  good  blotting  paper. 
To  make  a  writing  paper  of  it,  the  sheet  must  be 
run  through  a  number  of  heavily  weighted  steel 
rollers,  but  we  don't  need  that  for  printing  our 
books." 


BUILDING  £   SHIP  233 

The  paper  was  made  in  that  manner,  and  the 
Professor  was  delighted  when  he  saw  the  illus 
trations.  Thus  the  first  serious  attempt  was  made 
to  begin  the  teaching  of  the  children,  and  when 
the  books  were  ready  the  boys  were  all  happy  to 
undertake  the  work  of  teaching.  It  was  here  that 
the  Tuolo  medicine  men  were  utilized,  and  it  may 
be  said  to  their  credit  that  they  found  the  new 
calling  agreeable  and  pleasant. 

But  there  is  still  so  much  to  be  said  about  the 
town,  the  people,  the  actions  of  the  chiefs,  the 
work  that  was  being  prosecuted,  the  farms  and 
plantations  that  were  started,  the  manufactured 
articles  turned  out,  the  new  houses  erected  every 
where,  and  the  intense  interest  exhibited  by  the 
people  under  the  new  order  of  things. 

The  boys  knew  they  had  been  a  great  factor  in 
the  regeneration  of  the  island,  and  were  proud  of 
it.  Lolo,  and  boys  of  like  ages  with  our  boys,  were 
given  special  training,  due  to  the  suggestion  of 
the  Professor.  Some  were  taught  the  theory  of 
medicine,  as  the  necessity  of  proper  medical  treat 
ment  was  essential.  Many  received  the  rudimen 
tary  knowledge  of  carpentry  and  other  occupations 
from  John. 

The  ship  was  the  principal  topic  of  conversa 
tion,  and  to  that  the  main  energies  were  directed. 
The  finest  oak  trees  were  cut  and  brought  in;  a 
new  and  larger  sawmill  installed;  the  machine 
shop  was  ousy  day  and  night  in  the  making  of 
two  new  lathes,  a  planer,  and  several  drilling  ma 
chines. 

During  the  rush  and  the  excitement  of  all  these 


234  THE   CONQUEST 

new  enterprises,  the  boys  conld  not  forget  their 
earlier  experiences,  and  about  the  mysterious 
things  which  formed  parts  of  their  adventures. 

To  enumerate  all  of  them  would  take  too  much 
space,  and  be  unnecessary,  but  some  of  them  had 
an  intense  personal  interest,  and  they  recalled 
how  the  missing  flag  was  accounted  for  when  John 
appeared;  the  removal  of  their  boat  at  the  Falls 
of  South  Kiver  was  explained;  the  discovery  of 
the  light  beyond  the  West  Kiver  really  indicated 
the  location  of  the  savage  village. 

But  there  were  other  things  still  unaccounted 
for,  and  the  boys  craved  a  solution  to  the  mys 
terious  happenings.  Who  wro^e  the  message 
found  in  the  Investigator's  lifeboat,  No.  3?  Who 
took  the  flagstaff  at  Observation  Hill?  Who 
placed  the  crude  oars  and  the  strange  ropes  in 
their  boat  which  was  found  stranded  on  the  sea 
beach  ten  miles  from  the  place  where  they  left  it? 

The  boys  determined  to  know  these  things,  and 
they  trusted  to  the  future  to  be  able  to  give  the 
answers. 

Little  of  the  time  was  devoted  to  pleasure  now. 
The  great  forest  to  the  west  was  looked  on  by 
the  boys  with  longing  eyes  many  times.  They  had 
heard  about  the  experience  at  Blakely's  old  home 
on  the  hill.  One  day  Harry  said:  "There  is  one 
thing  lacking  in  the  town." 

"What  is  it  ?"  asked  Tom. 

"The  American  flag." 

"Good!  We  must  get  a  fitting  flag  pole  fo* 
that." 

All   the  boys   conspired   together  that   night. 


BUILDING   A   SHIP  235 

They  would  go  to  the  great  forest  and  bring  in 
the  finest  pole  to  be  found.  Jack  and  Jill  and 
Angel  must  go  with  them ;  and  Lolo  and  his  best 
boy  friend  were  invited. 

Early  in  the  morning,  without  giving  anyone 
an  idea  of  their  intentions,  the  guns  and  the  bolos 
were  loaded  on  the  wagon,  and  plenty  of  provi 
sions,  you  may  be  assured.  George  and  Ralph 
manned  the  large  boat,  so  that  the  crossing  of  the 
river  would  be  facilitated.  The  wagon  still  had 
the  fort  sections,  which  were  taken  along  BO  that 
could  be  floated  across. 

Within  an  hour  the  main  river  was  reached  and 
the  float  sections  attached,  so  that  the  yaks  plunged 
in  and  drew  the  wagon  across,  while  the  boat 
was  drawn  up  on  shore  to  await  their  return. 

The  party  plunged  into  the  forest,  taking  the 
direction  which  Ralph  and  Tom  had  gone  on  the 
former  trip.  Quantities  of  game  were  bagged, 
but  there  was  no  exciting  incident.  The  pole  was 
the  main  thing,  after  all,  and  when  they  tramped 
in  every  direction  the  selection  was  narrowed 
down  to  two  fine  specimens  of  shellbark  hickory, 
and  one  was  felled  and  trimmed,  and  after  hoist 
ing  one  end  on  the  wagon,  the  other  was  put  on 
the  truck  and  the  party  drove  into  Unity  in  the 
afternoon. 

The  inhabitants  swarmed  the  streets  at  the 
novel  spectacle.  The  Professor,  John,  Blakely 
and  Rogers  instantly  divined  the  meaning  of  the 
pole. 

"Where  shall  we  put  it  up?"  asked  Harry. 

"Right  in  the  center  of  the  town,"  was  the  Pro- 


236 


THE   CONQUEST 


fessor's  response.  "To-morrow  is  flag-raising 
day,  and  it  shall  be  a  holiday !" 

Before  night  the  hole  had  been  dug,  and  the  im 
mense  pole  erected. 

When  "Old  Glory"  went  up  the  next  day  there 
was  nothing  lacking  but  the  music;  the  hats  of 
everyone  came  off  as  the  flag  slowly  ascended,  and 
the  cheers  that  came  from  the  throats  of  the  na 
tives  could  not  have  been  more  intense,  nor  the 
enthusiasm  greater,  if  participated  in  by  genuine 
Americans. 


THB  END 


GLOSSARY  OF  WORDS 
USED  IN  TEXT  OF  THIS  VOLUME 


Astrologer.  An  interpreter  of  the  supposed  influence  of  the  stars 

on  the  destinies  of  man. 

Accumulation.  To  add  to;  gathering  little  by   little.     A  store  of 

things. 

Acquiring.  To  receive  or  gain  in  whatsoever  manner. 

Accosted.  To  speak  to ;  to  address ;  to  approach. 

Adequate.  Sufficient;  enough. 

Alluring.  That  which  attracts ;  to  have  a  fancj  for. 

Alternative,  Either  one  or  the  other. 

Animated.  Lively;  sparkling;  exhilarating. 

Apportion.  To  divide  and  distribute  or  assign* 

Aptitude.  Suited  to  the  work;  well  adapted. 

Betokened.  To  give  a  promise  or  evidence  of. 

Cardinal.  The  main  feature;  the  original. 

Calcareous.  Partaking  of  lime. 

Capillary.  That  capacity  in  liquids  to  cohere  to  material. 

Celerity.  Quickly;  with  speed. 

Climax.  To  bring  to  a  conclusion. 

ChaparraL  A  dense  cluster  of  small  trees. 

Cooperation.  Acting  together;  in  concert. 

Concise.  Short  and  to  the  point. 

Cohesive.  To  stick  together;  to  adhere  to  each  other. 

Comprehend.  To  understand. 

Compact.  In  a  small  space. 

Concentrated.  To  bring  together. 

Commotion.  Not  orderly ;  violent  agitation ;  tumult. 

Cringed.  To  bow  in  servility;  to  wince. 
Deterred.  Prevented;  kept  from. 

Devoid.  To  be  without ;  bereft. 

Depredations.  The  act  of  plundering  or  laying  waste. 

Decorum.  In  an  orderly  manner. 

Demoniacs.         Influenced  by  demons,  or  possessed  with  bad  spirit. 

237 


238 


THE   CONQUEST 


Detained.  Held  as  a  captive. 

Deftly.  Neat  and  skillful  in  action. 

Diagonally.  Across  from  corner  to  corner. 

Dismantle.  To  take  apart;  to  dissever. 

Discernible.  To  see. 

Disinfectant.  To  make  germ  proof;  to  make  sanitary. 

Diversified.  A  variety;   having  different  qualities;  many  of  the 

same  kind. 

Disclose.  To  show;  to  advise  or  inform. 

Doctrine.  That  which  is  taught  or  set  forth  for  belief. 

Drones.  Those  which  are  not  busy,  or  prone  to  shirk. 

Effusive.  Talkative. 

Emboldened.  One  who  is  encouraged  to  go  forward. 

Entrapped.  One  who  is  caught  by  some  design  on  the  part  of 

another. 

Emotional.  An  excitement  of  the  mind. 

Emaciated.  Lean;  thin  from  want  of  food. 

Emulated.  To  copy  after;  to  take  pattern  from. 

Enumerated.  Counted. 

Entrancing.  To  put  into  a  state  of  delight. 

Ethics.  The  philosophy  of  morals. 

Evolutions.  A  term  employed  to  show  the  manner  in  -which  soldiers 

are  trained. 

Factor.  One  of  the  elements  in  a  problem. 

Fantastical.  Peculiarly  garbed ;  out  of  the  natural  manner. 

Fascination.  A  peculiar  drawing  to;  pleasant  attraction. 

Function.  Any  specific  act  or  power  that  belongs  to  an  agent. 

Gratified.  Satisfied;  well  pleased. 

Hilarity.  Joy;  the  state  of  being  demonstratively  happy. 

Identical.  The  same;   exactly  alike. 

Impulse.  That  which  is  done  at  the  moment. 

Imprecations.  To  hurl  defiance ;  to  bring  down  maledictions. 

Impressed.  To  produce  an  effect ;  warned. 

Imperiously.  In  a  haughty  manner ;  in  a  way  to  indicate  power. 

Imitated.  To  do  in  the  same  manner. 

Initiated.  To  bring  into;  to  make  familiar  with;  to  install. 

Imposing.  Adapted  to  make  an  impression. 

Interspersed.  To  put  between  or  among. 

Indication.  To  show;  to  give  an  idea  of. 

Instilling.  To  educate;  to  teach. 


GLOSSAEY 


239 


Installed.  To  establish ;  to  put  in  the  proper  place. 

Inculcate.  To  teach  by  principle,  or  otherwise. 

Indignant.          Anger  or  scorn  aroused  by  a  wrong  act. 

Instigation.        To  entice  another  to  do  a  thing. 

Indefatigable.  Continual  act  in  doing  a  thing;  not  weary  in  work 
or  play. 

Innumerable.      A  large  number;  many  of  the  aame  kind  or  thing. 

Indited.  To  put  into  words  or  writing. 

Irritablity.         Rubbing  against ;  friction  of  part. 

Irrepressible.      Difficult  to  control ;  hard  to  keep  down. 

Instrumental.    The  means  by  which  a  thing  is  done. 

Malediction.       A  wish  that  harm  may  come;  a  curse. 

Medium.  A  means;  an  object  that  enables  the  carrying  out  of 

a  design. 

Muster  roll.  The  list  of  a  set  of  men  who  have  combined  for  an 
object. 

Maneuvered,      The  arranging  of  forces  in  a  certain  manner. 

Naturalist.         One  versed  in  natural  history. 

Omen.  A  sign ;  a  favorable  or  unfavorable  issue. 

Pendant.  Hanging;  an  article  suspended;  swinging  belovr. 

Penetrated,        Going  into ;  entering  a  body. 

Phase.  One  form ;  a  particular  manner. 

Projection.          To  give  out;  a  throwing,  shooting  or  Bending  out. 

Precarious.         Rather  dangerous ;  not  the  safest. 

Profusion.  A  quantity ;  many  of  the  same  kind  or  qualify. 

Presentiment.    Believing  or  feeling  beforehand. 

Prescribing.       Setting  forth ;  explaining  in  detail. 

Precipitous.        Doing  quickly;  acting  without  considering  results. 

Restriction.        Within  certain  bounds  or  limits. 

Restoration.       To  bring  back  to  its  original  form. 

Requiting.          To  pay;  to  give  just  dues. 

Requisition.  The  necessity  for  a  thing;  to  call  for  eorae  quality 
or  article. 

Regeneration.    To  make  over  anew;  to  better. 

Reconstructed.  To  put  into  a  better  condition;  or  to  restore  to  its 
original  form. 

Rhythmic.  Made  to  correspond  in  sound,  In  a  regular  or  de 
termined  time. 

Rudimentary.    Original,  or  baaic. 


240 


THE   CONQUEST 


Saturated.  To  thoroughly  fill  a  substance,  as  with  a  liquid  a* 
it  will  not  hold  more. 

Scantling.  A  piece  of  sawn  timber,  used  as  the  upright  support 

of  a  building. 

Seclusion.  Hidden ;  kept  out  of  sight. 

Semblance.         The  same  as;  likened  unto. 

Simulating.       To  copy;  to  imitate. 

Smelter.  A  furnace  for  melting  metals. 

Solicitation.  Asking  for  anything;  requesting,  by  petition  or  other 
wise. 

Stimulating.      To  encourage;  to  cause  to  act. 

Stalagmite.        An  incrustation  on  the  floor  of  a  cave  or  cavern. 

Stalactite.  The  calcareous  or  lime  hangings  on  the  walls  and 
ceilings  of  a  cavern. 

Stipulated.         Set  forth  in  some  particular  manner. 

Tactics.  The  science  or  art  of  military  evolutions. 

Talisman.  Something  that  produces  or  is  capable  of  bringing 
about  a  wonderful  effect. 

Tempered.          The  quality  in  a  metal  of  hardening. 

Tissues.  The  flesh,  muscles  and  organic  materials  of  a  body. 

Tournament.     A  festival  of  ancient  time;  games  and  feats  of  arms. 

Transmitted.     Sent  away ;  forwarded  to  a  distant  place. 

Transport.         Carried  away  by  joyful  news  or  emotions. 

Typical.  A  good  sample;  the  like  in  kindL 

Unaffected.        Not  influenced ;  without  emotion. 

Undulating.       Wavy;  rolling. 

Unscrupulous,   Not  guided  by  a  right  course;  wrongful  actions. 


THIS   BOOK   IS   DUE   ON   THE   LAST   DATE 
STAMPED   BELOW 


RENEWED   BOOKS  ARE  SUBJECT  TO  IMMEDIATE 
RECALL 


LIBRARY,   UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-Series  458 


N?  841779 


PS3511 
Finlay,  R.T.  1556 

The  conquest  of  the     C6 
savages. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


